Hamilton marks 200th race with victory at Spa, cuts Vettel’s lead to seven

LEWIS HAMILTON celebrated his 200th Formula One race with a victory from pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix yesterday.

Hamilton took the chequered flag at Spa-Francorchamps ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel after a faultless performance under constant pressure from the German four-time world champion.

A third victory in Belgium for Hamilton, who on Saturday equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of 68 pole positions, cut Vettel’s lead in the drivers’ championship to seven points and gave him a 58th career win.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo was third ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, with Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas in fifth.

Hamilton was able to keep Vettel at bay in the early stages, but was put under severe pressure 10 laps from the end after the safety car came out following a collision between Force India teammates Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon.

Vettel was immediately in Hamilton’s slipstream when the safety car went in, but the Briton was able to hold off the challenge after the Ferrari driver had tried to overtake on the straight.

Ricciardo and Raikkonen benefited in getting past Bottas however, who ran wide at the first turn, when the safety car went in.

There was huge disappointment for tens of thousands of Dutch fans who had crossed the border into Belgium when Max Verstappen retired on the eighth lap after a loss of power.

“Unbelievable, I can’t believe this,” Verstappen said over team radio after the Dutchman’s sixth retirement of the season.

Raikkonen was unhappy with a 10-second stop-go penalty for not slowing down under a yellow flag when Verstappen retired.

The stewards also investigated Force India’s clash, which led to Perez limping into the pits without a rear tyre.