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| Daniel Ricciardo wins Grand Prix as Hamilton-Rosberg spat reginites | Daniel Ricciardo wins Grand Prix as Hamilton-Rosberg spat reginites |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Daniel Ricciardo made it two wins from two, his victory here in Belgium coming after taking the flag at the last race in Hungary. He was the class of the field and not only had the pace on all his rivals but touch too as he managed his tyres to complete a two-stop race. Yet he had taken the lead only when the fight between the two world championship contenders Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton literally came together for the first time this season on lap two, forcing both drivers into attempting to come back through the field. | Daniel Ricciardo made it two wins from two, his victory here in Belgium coming after taking the flag at the last race in Hungary. He was the class of the field and not only had the pace on all his rivals but touch too as he managed his tyres to complete a two-stop race. Yet he had taken the lead only when the fight between the two world championship contenders Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton literally came together for the first time this season on lap two, forcing both drivers into attempting to come back through the field. |
| It puts Rosberg, who ultimately finished second, 29 points clear of Hamilton in the drivers’ championship but it was not a result favoured by the crowd in Spa who roundly booed the German on the podium, while Hamilton who entered the weekend with huge optimism, and leaves with massive disappointment requested to retire and was allowed to on lap 39. | It puts Rosberg, who ultimately finished second, 29 points clear of Hamilton in the drivers’ championship but it was not a result favoured by the crowd in Spa who roundly booed the German on the podium, while Hamilton who entered the weekend with huge optimism, and leaves with massive disappointment requested to retire and was allowed to on lap 39. |
| Hamilton had taken the lead from the start going past at La Source where Sebastian Vettel also went round the outside of Rosberg, a place he subsequently lost just moments later, when he was too hot going into Les Combes. | Hamilton had taken the lead from the start going past at La Source where Sebastian Vettel also went round the outside of Rosberg, a place he subsequently lost just moments later, when he was too hot going into Les Combes. |
| It left the title rivals one-two again but only for a single lap. On lap two Rosberg closed on Hamilton and was looking for the pass, again going into Les Combes, but could not make it through. Hamilton stayed on his line and Rosberg lost a part of his right front wing endplate clipping Hamilton’s rear left tyre which immediately suffered a puncture, forcing him to tour slowly round to the pits as the tyre delaminated, further damaging the floor of the car, affecting its performance for the rest of the race, while the stop demoted him to 19th place. | It left the title rivals one-two again but only for a single lap. On lap two Rosberg closed on Hamilton and was looking for the pass, again going into Les Combes, but could not make it through. Hamilton stayed on his line and Rosberg lost a part of his right front wing endplate clipping Hamilton’s rear left tyre which immediately suffered a puncture, forcing him to tour slowly round to the pits as the tyre delaminated, further damaging the floor of the car, affecting its performance for the rest of the race, while the stop demoted him to 19th place. |
| Niki Lauda,the former driver and non executive chairman of Mercedes came down firmly on Hamilton’s side after the race and indicated that his team would be looking into the matter. “I said sorry to Lewis, for him it was bad,” he said, “Lewis was clearly in the lead and Nico was behind. Why in the second lap did this happen? We’re going to have a meeting. It’s a bad result for Lewis and for the Mercedes team altogether.” | Niki Lauda,the former driver and non executive chairman of Mercedes came down firmly on Hamilton’s side after the race and indicated that his team would be looking into the matter. “I said sorry to Lewis, for him it was bad,” he said, “Lewis was clearly in the lead and Nico was behind. Why in the second lap did this happen? We’re going to have a meeting. It’s a bad result for Lewis and for the Mercedes team altogether.” |
| Mercedes boss Toto Wolff echoed Lauda’s opinions, saying this is “an unacceptable race, unbelievable. There is one rule: you don’t crash into each other”. | Mercedes boss Toto Wolff echoed Lauda’s opinions, saying this is “an unacceptable race, unbelievable. There is one rule: you don’t crash into each other”. |
| It was clumsy rather than deliberate it seems and the incident was not investigated by the FIA but it cost Hamilton more than his team-mate, the former yet again found himself having to make a recovery drive, while Rosberg struggling a little with the lack of downforce from the front wing damage was being chased down by a charging Daniel Ricciardo who had moved up from fifth on the grid to second. | It was clumsy rather than deliberate it seems and the incident was not investigated by the FIA but it cost Hamilton more than his team-mate, the former yet again found himself having to make a recovery drive, while Rosberg struggling a little with the lack of downforce from the front wing damage was being chased down by a charging Daniel Ricciardo who had moved up from fifth on the grid to second. |
| Rosberg pitted on lap nine and had to take a new nose, which dropped him to fifteenth and allowed Ricciardo to take the lead, and he returned to the circuit only for Hamilton’s own Banquo’s ghost to appear in the form of debris streamers from his delaminated tyre carcass becoming attached to his aerial and blowing directly into his face, which despite a desperate bid to be removed on the Kemmel Straight hung on stubbornly for several laps. | Rosberg pitted on lap nine and had to take a new nose, which dropped him to fifteenth and allowed Ricciardo to take the lead, and he returned to the circuit only for Hamilton’s own Banquo’s ghost to appear in the form of debris streamers from his delaminated tyre carcass becoming attached to his aerial and blowing directly into his face, which despite a desperate bid to be removed on the Kemmel Straight hung on stubbornly for several laps. |
| The incident left Ricciardo, who had already passed his team-mate, the four-time world champion Vettel while managing his tyres supremely, in a run with Valtteri Bottas, who in turn was moving through the field with the formidable pace his Williams had been unable to show in the wet during qualifying, and Kimi Raikkonen who had made the most of taking his first stop early. Rosberg had re-joined the front runners by lap 31 after vibrations problems caused during a lock-up during his second stint, were solved with fresh tyres on lap 22. | The incident left Ricciardo, who had already passed his team-mate, the four-time world champion Vettel while managing his tyres supremely, in a run with Valtteri Bottas, who in turn was moving through the field with the formidable pace his Williams had been unable to show in the wet during qualifying, and Kimi Raikkonen who had made the most of taking his first stop early. Rosberg had re-joined the front runners by lap 31 after vibrations problems caused during a lock-up during his second stint, were solved with fresh tyres on lap 22. |
| A downbeat Hamilton, meanwhile, unable to come back through the field due to a lack of downforce caused by the damage after his puncture, appeared in no mood to continue, asking his team: “shall we save the engine guys?” on lap 20. Mercedes rejected his requests hoping for a safety car to close up the field but Hamilton’s request, perfectly sensible to limit engine wear, also suggested a man who did not want to trawl round in a car that was almost three seconds off the pace, without a real chance of scoring even a point. He was, ultimately, called to retire at the end of lap 39. | A downbeat Hamilton, meanwhile, unable to come back through the field due to a lack of downforce caused by the damage after his puncture, appeared in no mood to continue, asking his team: “shall we save the engine guys?” on lap 20. Mercedes rejected his requests hoping for a safety car to close up the field but Hamilton’s request, perfectly sensible to limit engine wear, also suggested a man who did not want to trawl round in a car that was almost three seconds off the pace, without a real chance of scoring even a point. He was, ultimately, called to retire at the end of lap 39. |
| “I got a good start,” said Hamilton. “It was looking good, I took the corner as I should because it was my line and I don’t know why he hit me, but I am sure he will leave here happy tonight. | |
| “There’s nothing you can do. I just have to regather my thoughts and attack like crazy in the next two races.” | |
| His Championship rival, however, was on the charge; he flew past Bottas in a ballsy move, flat-out at Blanchimont, passed Raikkonen the next lap and with eight laps to go was just over 19 seconds behind Ricciardo, the team told he had the pace to catch him at the very death and Rosberg duly banged in the quick laps. Proving that the extraordinary two second advantage the Mercedes had demonstrated in qualifying was not a one off, he closed the gap just under four seconds by the final lap but it was not enough and Ricciardo took another hugely impressive and well-deserved win, his third of the season. | |
| On his collision with Hamilton, Rosberg said: ““I got a good run on Lewis and tried to go round the outside and we just touched in the end. Unfortunately and it hurt both of our races, but that’s just how it goes. | |
| “I respect the opinion of the British spectators and if they are unhappy, that does not feel good.” | |
| Bottas completed another very strong drive to finish third, his fourth podium this season, while Raikkonen took fourth. A terrific fight behind them, that was reflected throughout the race across the field as it so often is at this magnificent circuit, saw Vettel, Kevin Magnussen, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso (who had to have a spare battery pack brought to his car at the last moment when the grid was released for the formation lap for which he received a five second stop-go penalty) take fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth. Sergio Perez and Daniil Kvyat rounded out the top ten. | Bottas completed another very strong drive to finish third, his fourth podium this season, while Raikkonen took fourth. A terrific fight behind them, that was reflected throughout the race across the field as it so often is at this magnificent circuit, saw Vettel, Kevin Magnussen, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso (who had to have a spare battery pack brought to his car at the last moment when the grid was released for the formation lap for which he received a five second stop-go penalty) take fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth. Sergio Perez and Daniil Kvyat rounded out the top ten. |