What The Papers Say About Lewis's Penalty

Monday 8th September 2008

Fleet Street is up in arms after Lewis Hamilton was "robbed" of the victory in Sunday's Belgian GP when the stewards handed him a 25sec penalty...

'Lewis Hamilton produced one of his most daring performances to win the Belgian Grand Prix yesterday, only to have victory taken away from him by a hugely controversial retrospective punishment by the race stewards.

'Two hours after Hamilton had toasted his triumph with champagne on the podium after one of Formula One's classic finishes, the British McLaren Mercedes driver - he had been celebrating his fifth win of the season - was stunned to learn that instead of an eight-point lead over Felipe Massa in the drivers' championship, his advantage had been cut to two points after he had been relegated to third place and the Brazilian awarded victory.

'Whether the stewards' decision was right or wrong will be debated for months, especially if it proves to be the decisive intervention in a championship battle that looks to be going to the wire with five grands prix to go.' - Edward Gorman, The Times

'The decision to demote Lewis Hamilton to third place here yesterday will long be remembered as being farcical and disgraceful by all in motor racing.

'Lewis Hamilton had scored a sensational victory at Spa-Francorchamps - snatching victory from the jaws of defeat just when it seemed that Kimi Raikkonen was on course to emulate the great Jim Clark's feat of four victories in a row here after dominating the race.

'Then the race stewards adjudged Hamilton to have gained advantage by cutting a chicane and gave him a ridiculous retrospective 25-second penalty, which dropped him to third and rendered the race a joke.' - David Tremayne, The Independent

'McLaren have launched an appeal after Lewis Hamilton was last night stripped of victory in the Belgian grand prix. He believed he had extended his lead in the drivers' championship to eight points after taking the chequered flag in first place at the end of a dramatic race but he was later penalised for the way he had overtaken Kimi Raikkonen, the world champion.

The Briton was demoted to third place for gaining an unfair advantage at the start of the penultimate lap and is now only two points ahead of Raikkonen's Ferrari team-mate, Felipe Massa, who had been second on the road but was declared the winner.' - Maurice Hamilton, The Guardian

'Lewis Hamilton has vowed to hit Ferrari hard in their own backyard after being controversially stripped of the victory in Belgium.

'The furious Brit left Spa under a cloud of controversy after a crazy race ended with a crazy decision.

'Hamilton, 123, should have been heading to Monza for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix with a comfortable eight-point cushion over rival Felipe Massa.

'But the stewards' decision to gift Massa an undeserved victory left the Ferrari driver just two points adrift with five races left.' - Michael Spearman, The Sun

'Furious Lewis Hamilton was sensationally stripped of his thrilling Belgian Grand Prix victory last night.

'Hamilton received a 25-second penalty for cutting a corner in an amazing duel with world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

'The British driver's McLaren team are trying to appeal the decision to rob Hamilton of a stunning victory after the FIA found him guilty of taking a short cut.

'Hamilton claimed it was "absolutely wrong" to hand him a retrospective 25-second penalty which demonted him to third place and gave the win to Felipe Massa.' - James Murray, Daily Star

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