Lewis Hamilton wins but stewards investigate him and Raikkonen (Video)
Lewis Hamilton snatched victory in the Belgian Grand Prix from Kimi Raikkonen in the dying stages of the race.
But their thrilling duel as rain fell in the final laps of the race is being investigated by the stewards who feel Hamilton and Raikkonen may have broken the rules. Here’s a video of what happened:
The duel began when Hamilton caught Raikkonen on lap 42. He drew alongside the Ferrari on the outside of the chicane, but Raikkonen pushed him off the track
Is this what Raikkonen is being investigated for? Should he be penalised for it?
That meant Hamilton arrived on the start/finish straight ahead of Raikkonen. Having gained an unfair advantage he let Raikkonen past (which is what he should have done with Vettel at Magny-Cours) but then re-passed Raikkonen at the next corner (La Source).
Is this what Hamilton is being investigated for? Should he be penalised for it?
Later on lap 43 Raikkonen ran wide at Pouhon but regained the circuit without seeming to gain much of an advantage.
Then Hamilton came across a spinning Williams and had to drive off the circuit in avoidance. Raikkonen also took evasive action and seemed to hit Hamilton in doing so. But surely for both drivers this was an unavoidable consequence of Raikkonen trying to avoid the Williams?
I don’t think anything that happened on the last few laps deserves a penalty from the stewards. If anyone was at fault, it was Raikkonen for pushing Hamilton off the track at the chicane. But the stewards have already shown they don’t punish drivers for pushing each other off the track - as with Fernando Alonso and Hamilton at this track last year.
Do you think either driver deserves a penalty? What sort of penalty should they have?
Here’s what Ron Dennis had to say about the investigation on ITV:
First of all we don’t know what the investigation is about. One assumes it was the incident between Kimi and Lewis at the chicane. First of all, Lewis was ahead at the chicane and he got pushed wide. He definitely was in the lead coming out of the chicane, we immediately radioed him to let Kimi past. We let Kimi past and then overtook him again before the line.
Inevitably, we wanted to know whether we had actually, that was deemed to be a correction of that, and we checked with Charlie [Whiting], of course Charlie can only give an opinion, he’s not the stewards, but he gave an opinion that we had complied properly to the regulations. I would even dispute that there was any fault because we had the corner in the chicane, but even if we didn’t have the corner we let Kimi back in the lead.
Update: the stewards have passed their decision and stripped Hamilton of his win. More here.
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No penalty. It is just racing!!!
bet lewis will get a penalty as the fia clearly love ferrari
Exactly what happened, and what rules were broken if any, in that confusion — I can’t make up my mind either way there.
David has it exactly right. We can’t afford some skin-challenged nobody to beat FIArrari, can we?
lewis had advantage by going off so i think penalty
It was just some good fair racing. I’d be surprised if either drivers get any penalty.
he did the same thing in france
there is some spelling mistakes in your post
btw i missed the race..
can u tell me from where i can download the full race?
Hamilton shouldn’t have passed Raikkonen at La Source. He got a better run out of the last corner by cutting the chicane - see Alonso/Klien Japan 05.
Maybe they’re investigating Raikkonen for getting a good run on Lewis while being offtrack.
..that’s what i assume they’re being investigated for anyway. No penalties necessary as far as i’m concerned.
It was just racing. As much as I didn’t want Hamilton to win, he did nothing wrong today and deserved his victory.
I don’t think either driver had any fault in the incident. Kimi had every right to defend his line, Lewis every right to challenge it.
do the rules specify any time limit for the stewarts to announce their decision…???
No penalty.
Was just racing, and given the dire conditions I think both did well to keep it on track.
Oh, wait a minute!
I don’t get the bit about hamilton getting a better run out of the chicane? He was ahead on the straight so he had to ease off to let kimi passed. Then he just went for a big lunge up the inside and outbreaked him.
Kimi hit the back of him, maybe a 10 place grid drop for Kimi next race ;p
i meant stewards… sorry Jackie!
The penalty is not because of the chicane. After that, in the zone where there is that big straight line, where the helicopters film, hamilton defending his 1st place changed lines twice, while defending one can only change line once. (sorry for my english, I’m not a native speaker)
No penalty - it’s just racing!!
It was an okay race until the rain fell and it became amazing! Good calls by Heidfeld and Alonso going in to get the inters - and good drives by the Toro Rosso drivers for a double points finish.
Trig, how did Lewis have more momentum, as he was in front of Kimi, let him pass before the white line, and then re-passed him. You’re challenging physical laws here;)
Hamilton clearly infringed Rule 345-4-B.
‘No McLaren driver shall humiliate a Ferrari driver and cause him/her to make a complete tit of themselves in the wall.’
Victory o Massa then obviously.
Firstly I saw nothing wrong, as Lewis was pushed wide, and let Kimi back through. he was then fully behind Kimi before he made his next move at the first corner. (Kimi then totallie-deliberately-liek-OMG tried to puncture Lewis’ rear right tyre during La Source).
Secondly, Kimi then gained an advantage by staying off the track at Pouhon, which ultimately gave him the lead back at the entrance to the fast chicane (albeit helped by a badly parked Williams).
Thirdly it doesn’t matter anyway because then Kimi (once again, wandering around on the tarmac runoff) stuck his car in the wall.
Hamilton was beside Kimi on the straight and backed off, not enough. Kimi had no chance on the corner…thus he had to push much harder to get in front. If Hamilton had have been fair, then Kimi would have had the lead for the rest of the lap.
Also, Dennis saying Hamilton was in front at the chicance? are you kidding me? Having a front wing ahead does not mean you’ve made the pass.
Hamilton should be dq’ed.
Obviously Kimi will be unhappy with the outcome but he must accept he only has himself to blame for crashing. If FIA alter the result, it’ll be a huge mistake. The end of the race was fantastic viewing, precisely what F1 needs. Other than that, the only marginal fault was Kimi pushing Lewis off at the chicane - a very mild version of Kovi’s move on Webber (punished with a drive through).
I don’t really see how Hamilton could’ve got a better run at the last corner, given he had to be travelling slower than Raikkonen in order for Raikkonen to get the lead again up the inside of the straight and move physically in front of Hamilton to take the outside line round la source.
Both Lewis and Kimi drove fabulously. No-one should be punished. The last few laps were absolutely riviting!
I think Hamilton had a clear advantage because he could get side by side at La Source, which couldn’t otherwise if he had done the chicane. However I think Kimi didn’t give him enough room.
Everybody can have his own opinion, but I think those are the facts.
It’s all a joke. What’s to investigate? Did the FIA feel that the last two laps were too exciting?
It was interesting that Ron Dennis jumped straight to Hamilton’s cutting the Bus Stop when asked about why the stewards were investigating.
Raikkonen doesn’t deserve a penalty for the antics at the chicane - he drove robustly but fairly. He was ahead going into the second part of the Bus Stop and entitled to take his line. Lewis could have backed off but he opted not to - I can’t imagine him driving any differently in Kimi’s position.
Whether Lewis gave Kimi back enough of an advantage is more marginal. Having gained a clear advantage by jumping the chicane, Lewis was still close enough to pass into the next corner. But the camera angle is deceptive and it might have made Hamilton appear closer to Kimi than he actually was. Who knows what the stewards will decide.
Either way, Lewis deserves to keep his win - Massa drove reasonably well but doesn’t deserve to inherit this one.
you might be right bernification… i just thought it was a bit dodgy at the time. He was closer to Raikkonen than he would’ve been had he taken the corner correctly.
Just speculation on my part as to what he might be under investigation for…
aa- the fact was Lewis was on the oposite side when he ‘gained an advantage’ to that which he overtook on- so much for facts.
The stewards should penalise both drivers. In current F1, fights on track are not allowed!
No Spencer, the FIA realised that McLaren beat Ferrari so they needed to find a way to punish them
Questions (fair, factual reasoned analysis, please - I have my own prejudices here, but trying to understand it all):
1) Who’s fault Ham cut the chicane?
2) If advantage gained over that segment, how so?
3) can anyone discuss in detail Trig’s comment re: Alonso/Klein Japan 05?
Thanks!
It’s races like that that make F1 what it is.
If the FIA go penalising anyone it will only make a mockery f the whole thing.
Lewis given 10 place penalty for next race………..
We reckon Raikkonen and Hamilton will both get grid penalties for the next race - Raikkonen for forcing Hamilton wide, Hamilton for gaining an advantage from his increased momentum even after he’d given the place back.
A very subtle way of assisting Ferrari without making it too obvious.
And you only have to look at how trigger-happy the stewards were in the first GP2 race. Perhaps smarting over the criticism the Valencia stewards got for inactivity?
Of course, the whole thing is a conspiracy to scupper our team in McLaren’s Fantasy Grand Prix League…
This was a rare F1 moment that reminded of you of classic duels like Dijon 79. And now the stewards think there’s something wrong with that?!
I guess I should add that the point of my questions is, aren’t these individual questions appropriate for the stewards to investigate, and on which to make findings?
Hamilton blatantly cut the chicane, and he barely backed off at all on the home straight immediately afterwards. He should be punished for that… how harshly I don’t know, but he shouldn’t be let off completely. We wouldnt be having this discussion if the runoff areas weren’t so farcically generous.
let’s hope next year the overtaking rate doesn’t improve too much… ‘cos all the races will be “investigated” then…
does the fia just hate racing these days? they don’t seem happy unless half the audience is nodding off…maybe so fewer people will notice their bad calls, maybe they’re just in leaque with red bull to sell more energy drinks but honestly, this is pretty silly.
brilliant gamble by bmw and renault. heidfeld wasn’t even on my radar until he crossed the line and i figured alonso had just thrown 4th place when he pitted.
fan, you may be right about why they’re looking at hamilton but i thought they get one manouvre to defend the position. he took one and sort of more than that but not incredibly blatant and i was sort of squinting at those moves too, but i think he caught himself doing it. that from a kimi fan, too.
the cynic in me would say hmmm….massa’s little red wagon is 2nd at 9:15 am, where will he be at 9:15 pm?
It is simply impossible for Hamilton to have “increased momentum” after giving the place back. Raikkonen managed to slice in front of him after he relinquished the place, which would have been impossible at that point unless they were travelling at the same speed and the place had been given back.
Sure, Hamilton cut it really fine, fine enough to pick up the tow immediately and outbrake Kimi at the next corner. Great move, no penalty, move along.
Penalty for hamham he caused kimis crash.
Having looked at the tape again, I don’t think Kimi pushed Lewis off, he had the line and was protecting his right to take the corner in the second part of the Bus Stop.
No fines or penalties to either drivers, it was great racing and we should not penalize drivers who want to try and overtake.
sergio, I fail to see how Hamilton caused Kimi’s crash.
Having looked at the video again I think Raikkonen’s weaving on the straight was questionable.
hamilton caused kimi’s crash? erh, i thought it was probably hitting that paint as he came off the runoff area. my, my, lewis is more talented than any of us previously thought, isn’t he?
diseased rat, I agree, a bit of elementary physics in order! If Kimi went past Lewis, either he was accelerating (faster) or Lewis de-accelerating (faster). No momentum advantage for Lewis! Since he passed from Kimi’s left (behind him) to his right, he also had to be fully behind Kimi to achieve this remarkable bit of driving!
Finally Kimi hit Hamilton (lightly) on entering the chicane, meaning he had to go off track or spin like Webber.
Frankly the ‘issue’ is surreally pointless except for people who don’t want any actual racing! Ferrari maybe.
This is another reason why paved run offs are bad. We wouldn’t be debating if they had an advantage going off the track if both sides of the chicane were filled with thorn bushes.
Also, if you read the story on Formula1.com you will see they fail to mention the investigation until the last three words of the paragraph. (your site was overloaded Kieth, I had to look elsewhere.)
I can’t believe I fell back asleep after the second round of pit stops! (8am here) I thought, “well, nothing interesting is going to happen in the last 15 laps…”
Guys sergio was joking. Unless he really is one of those idiot FIArri fans
Am I correct (in the little research I’ve been able to do) that in ‘05 Alonso had to give the place back again, after similar maneuver? If so, it’s pretty hard to see how ANYONE could have kept track moment-to-moment of everything that was happening, thus (much as I HATE this) it’s hard to see a DQ as fair, but it IS reasonable for some penalty to accrue -
And now, whither Kimi (and thus Fernando) in 2009??