Article by Henri Boulanger

Lewis Hamilton was a happy F1 driver as he openned a bottle of champagne on the winners rostrum after winning the Belgian Grand Prix – only to be dropped to third place after officials decided he made an illegal move to secure victory.

The reason judges demoted him from first to third place? An illegal manoueuvre helped Lewis overtake the front runner, Kimi Raikkonen. However, Lewis ceded Raikkonen’s position shortly after cutting the chicane. Lewis went on the cross the finish line in first place to take the Belgian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton’s victory for Team McLaren was short-lived though. Hamilton was demoted from first to third place for cutting the chicane. It was an end-of-race rain shower that caused Hamilton to slide off the track. Raikkonen then passed him again. However, Raikkonen quickly lost control on the wet track. A crash took him out of the race for good with less than five laps to go.

Spa Francorchamps in Belgium’s spa region is notorious for its inclement weather. Not only does it rain frequently, the weather tends to turn on a dime. Drivers in the Belgian Grand Prix have come to expect this. Little has changed weather-wise since the very first Belgian Grand Prix in 1925. Drivers are typically prepared for rain. Drivers known for superior wet-weather road-handling skills even welcome it. It’s frequently rain that gives them their edge over less able drivers.

It appears that Lewis Hamilton underestimated the possibility of bad weather. He and nearly every other driver chose dry tires for the race. The only one with foresight seemed to be Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr. Despite this, it wasn’t enough for a top three placing for Piquet.

Lewis Hamilton managed to recover from some wild spinouts to take first place. He was followed closely by Team Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and Team Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld. Ultimately, it was Massa and Team Ferrari that would be declared the winner of the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix. The decision resulted in a two point loss for Hamilton. The loss narrowed the gap between Hamilton and rival Massa to a hair’s breadth.

But Lewis Hamilton’s team have now lodged an appeal and hopes to be reinstated to first – time will tell.

Lewis seems to have an edge compared to some drivers while it’s raining. Unusually for Monaco, May’s Grand Prix around the streets of Monte Carlo were wet after rain, and he went on to win the Monaco Grand Prix.

A chicane is a series of tight semi-circular barriers on a race track. Chicanes are not unique to racing. Town planners may install them in streets. They are designed to slow down the flow of traffic. Ultimately, they are a safety measure. Chicanes are a safety measure on race tracks as well. Racers are forced to slow down before entering the chicane. This prevents them from losing control on subsequent curves. The Spa Francorchamps has several hairpin turns and sharp curves. The frequent rain only makes these curves more dangerous.

It appears that slick roads may have caused Lewis to cut through the chicane. It was unlikely that his manoueuvre was intentional. Intentional or not, the illegal move may end up costing Hamilton the title.

Hamilton has only a handful of races left in the 2008 in which to make up for the loss at the Belgian Grand Prix. Hamilton’s fans wait eagerly to see if Hamilton will be able to recover. Fans of sidelined driver Raikkonen feel, on the other hand, that justice was served. Raikkonen may have taken the race if not for his unfortunate crash. Raikkonen has won the World Championship three out of the last four years, but he may not win this year if Lewis Hamilton continues to drive as he has been doing this year.