Watch: When Lewis Hamilton received a 25-second penalty while racing Kimi Raikkonen for race lead in Spa

Lewis Hamilton started the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix on pole and crossed the finish line first, yet he was classified second after the stewards handed him a 25-second penalty.

In a move strikingly similar to Max Verstappen’s controversial off-track overtake in Saudi Arabia, Lewis Hamilton overtook Kimi Raikkonen by going off-track at the bus-stop chicane at Spa-Francorchamps.

That year, Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa were fighting each other for their maiden world title. Hamilton’s penalty, combined with Raikkonen crashing out after the rain intensified, allowed Massa to clinch the win.

Similar to 2021, this event further inflamed the controversy surrounding the stewards’ decision.

In 2018, reminiscing about the incident, Hamilton felt that the FIA’s decision to penalize him was unjust. In a video for F1’s official YouTube channel, titled “A Letter to my Younger Self," the Briton said:

“Don’t let the FIA screw you in Spa. You’ve got to be careful.”

“They will say it’s OK for you to let Kimi by and that you’ve done enough. And at the end of the race, they will not let you keep that win.”

“So, you have to do double, you have to do more. Let Kimi by and give him a good margin so they can’t use it as an excuse.”

At the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen overtook Hamilton off-track but gave the place back (twice) after being told to do so by race control.

In the same way as Hamilton, however, Verstappen was still penalized by stewards after the race for his actions.

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Bernie Ecclestone claims “the world has already seen Lewis Hamilton’s last race”

Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has claimed that Lewis Hamilton won’t compete in F1 again, after losing his bid for an eighth world title. Ecclestone feels that Hamilton’s “disappointment” in Abu Dhabi was “too great” for him to return to the sport.

In an interview with the German daily Blick, Ecclestone said:

“I think he is leaving; he won’t run next year. His disappointment in Abu Dhabi was too great, and I understand him. Now, tied for seven titles with Michael Schumacher, it is the perfect time for him to fulfill his dream and be a fashion entrepreneur.”

Ecclestone, who until 2016 owned a majority stake in F1, is often known for his controversial remarks. Last week, he criticized Hamilton and Mercedes for protesting the results of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Furthermore, in an interview with Sky News, Ecclestone had also expressed his happiness at the fact that Schumacher’s record of seven world titles was not broken by Hamilton.

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