Hamilton ecstatic after Spa victory
Lewis Hamilton declared himself 'ecstatic' after taking a dominant Belgian Grand Prix win at Spa-Francorchamps

The McLaren driver won for the third time in 2010, moving himself into a four-point championship lead over Mark Webber, who finished second, after a dominant drive in changeable weather conditions.
"I am so happy, so grateful to be in this position," said Hamilton. "If you have things like that in a race like that it can be a lottery.
"To come out on top, even facing a difficult situation - and one I was blessed to get away with, I am so happy, so ecstatic."
Hamilton said that he had feared the worst when he slid off the track at Rivage on slick tyres on lap 35, just after a second rain shower of the race had begun.
Fortunately for him, he kept his car moving, just skimming the tyre wall on the edge of the gravel trap without doing his McLaren any damage.
"The conditions were really tricky when it started to rain," he added. "I was losing temperature in the tyres and not knowing how hard to push. I braked late and locked a wheel and went wide in Turn 8.
"I made it all the way out to the wall and just clipped it with the edge of my wing. I was fortunate to get away with that, it was so slippery out there - there was nothing you could do, just tip-toe around.
"Overall the team did a remarkable job this weekend, constantly pushing. In some places we were not as fast as these guys [Webber and Robert Kubica], but it's great that when we are close we can maximise it. I am so happy to be up here."
Hamilton had hoped to finish the race behind the safety car, so as to preserve his lead during the latter stages. He said that the final few laps required a huge amount of concentration.
"I was hoping the safety car would stay out longer. Fortunately though, it stopped raining and the track got better.
"In the end I was nursing car home, bringing it home in one piece, and just concentrating on keeping small gap between myself and Mark. It's good."

Vettel apologises for taking Button out
Webber: Red Bull will have to prioritise

Latest news
McLaren to share F1 reserve driver Schumacher with Mercedes
Mercedes Formula 1 reserve driver Mick Schumacher will be also made available as a stand-in to McLaren, the Woking team has announced.
NASCAR Next Gen car gets safety upgrades for 2023 season
NASCAR unveiled some changes to the Next Gen car for the 2023 season, with most enhancing its safety aspects.
O’Ward optimistic about Rossi and that McLaren IndyCar DNFs can be reduced
Arrow McLaren ace Pato O’Ward says he’s confident that Alexander Rossi will be a strong addition to the line-up and that the team has gotten on top of its mechanical woes.
Alonso "wouldn't accept" continuing in F1 at less than 100%
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso says he wouldn't continue in Formula 1 if he didn't think he was driving at his best or if his new Aston Martin team didn't have any chance to win.
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.