Spa-Franchorchamps, Belgium. The scene of many a magic moment in Formula 1. The home of the some of the greatest challenges a man and his car can undertake. The cars might be better, but they still need driving. Talent still shows through. Never moreso than today. Raikkonen, a man off form shows that his class is unquestionable. He drove away, controlled the majority of the race. Hamilton, not a person I particularly like but a driver whose talent I can't not recognise and appreciate, holding on, keeping Raikkonen honest.
And then it rained. People can say what they like about Formula 1 cars being too easy to drive. I direct anyone to the last two laps of today's race to give them a reality check. Slipping, sliding. The World Champion stuffing it into the wall, cars creeping round 30 seconds off the pace. It was like Bambi on Ice in stages, but it would not be Formula 1 if there was no controversy.
True to form, it came on the second-last lap. Hamilton in a car more suited to the tricky conditions hauled in Raikkonen and the untamed racer he is, launched a move as soon as he could. Typical Hamilton. Slip-stream down the outside into the Bus-Stop passed under breaking. Kimi has the line, holds it, and comes back across the nose of the wide Hamilton. Perfectly within his rights. Hamilton, has 3 choices - hold position and wipe out Kimi, back off and tuck in behind, or cut the chicane. He chose the third option.
Now, in Formula 1, if you gain an advantage by cutting a chicane you get penalised. Drivers usually concede the advantage - let the other guy get back passed and hold back any move on the next corner. The stewards see this as the driver not gaining an advantage and nothing is done.
But Lewis, Lewis, Lewis. What do you do? Yes, you let Kimi back past. But then you switchback and stuff one up the inside. You've already been punished for not conceding the advantages you gain by cutting corners - remember France? Long story short, is that the FIA decided he still had an advantage. Hamilton had the quicker car, but once again he showed impetuosity in the heat of the moment. All he had to do was wait till the next corner, and there would be no punishment. You deserve the penalty, maybe it will make you more level-headed in the future.
