Nico Rosberg has taken advantage of Lewis Hamilton starting from the back of the grid after sealing pole position for the Belgian GP.
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He knew that Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo had followed him home in second place, but beyond that knew very little of the finishing order.
Hamilton, who had incurred multiple grid penalties over the weekend for extra engine part changes, avoided the carnage at the start and gained places when the race was restarted after Magnussen’s smash.
As Formula One roars back into life following its summer break, Hamilton has largely been a spectator after his Mercedes team chose to take a penalty – one which has been lingering over the world champion following a series of engine failures in the opening phase of the season – here in Belgium.
By then he had too much to do to catch Ricciardo but succeeded in limiting the damage to his title bid.
“I was trying to keep my head down all weekend and focus on the long-run paces”. Verstappen was only just over a tenth of a second adrift of Rosberg as he became the youngest driver in the history of Formula 1 to start on the front row of the grid. We were the only ones who really got it nailed with the tire choice.
Despite his surprise, Rosberg insists he does not feel disappointed that he is leaving Belgium having only taken ten points out of Hamilton’s championship lead.
Nico Rosberg secured pole, Max Verstappen in second and Kimi Raikkonen third.
“So to come out with a clean race like I did, only lose 10 points and have three new engines, it’s a super bonus”.
“I’m just very happy, a flawless weekend for me”.
“We are all going to have massive degradation, it is going to be two or three stops, I don’t know who is going to be able to look after their cars or not”.
It was also his sixth win of the season, but first since June’s European Grand Prix, and it cut the deficit to Hamilton to nine points in the standings.
The next race is the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday 4 September.
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“I’m just focusing on my thing and that’s it”. Today I felt that I got back to my comfort level in driving and so I anticipate taking that into the next race. Mexican Sergio Perez was sixth ahead of his Force India teammate Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas of Williams, Jenson Button of McLaren Honda and Felipe Massa of Williams.
