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It could have been a classic - defending champion Kimi Raikkonen overcomes a recent run of disappointing performances to win his fourth grand prix at his favoured Spa-Francorchamps layout, reinvigorating his championship defence. And, for all but the last few laps of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix, that is how it looked.
Instead, the race will forever be remembered for what happened between the revised Bus Stop chicane at the end of lap 42 and La Source hairpin at the start of lap 43. Rather than being a signature comeback performance by Raikkonen, Belgium 2008 will go down as another spotlight incident in the career of the reigning champion's likely successor, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.
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Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton battle for the lead in the Bus Stop chicane © XPB |
What transpired in those critical few hundred yards is open to interpretation and inevitable bias.
The objective sequence of events was that, in the greasy and worsening conditions, Hamilton tried to pass the race leader on the outside under braking for the Bus Stop chicane, Raikkonen refused to give way and held the inside line, Hamilton cut the chicane and regained the circuit in the lead, only to back off and allow Raikkonen through on the start/finish straight before passing him on the inside under braking for La Source.
