Watch: When stewards took away one of Lewis Hamilton's greatest F1 victories

F1 Grand Prix of Belgium — Lewis Hamilton celebrates his victory before being penalized by the FIA
F1 Grand Prix of Belgium — Lewis Hamilton celebrates his victory before being penalized by the FIA

The 2021 F1 season wasn't the first in which the FIA has ruled against Lewis Hamilton. The Briton was infamously stripped of his legendary win at Spa-Francorchamps in 2008 for allegedly gaining an unlawful advantage over Kimi Raikkonen.

The 2008 Belgian Grand Prix was underway when it was suddenly hit by a strong rain shower, with most drivers being caught out on slicks. Lewis Hamilton started in pole position but spun out on the second lap after which reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen took the lead in the race. A sudden spell of rain on lap 41 of the race helped Lewis Hamilton catch up and overtake the Finn. The Briton, however, allegedly cut the "Bus Stop" chicane at the end of the long back straight, passing Raikkonen illegally.

The Finnish driver crashed on the following lap as the rain became heavier. Hamilton then won the race after a superbly cautious drive in the wet but was stripped of his win by the FIA, who awarded him with a 25-second penalty for his move on Raikkonen. Title rival Felipe Massa was made the winner of the race following the incident.

Watch the clip of Hamilton's superb final lap while on slick tires:


Lewis Hamilton criticized FIA's handling of 2021 Belgian Grand Prix

Heavy rain delayed the start of the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, with a red flag coming out immediately after the cars got onto the field. FIA rules state that if two laps of a Grand Prix event are completed, it is official and the winners can be decided. To ensure this, the field did two laps around the historic circuit behind the safety car, validating the event.

Lewis Hamilton placed third in the race, which was not decided under racing circumstances, with drivers being awarded half the points for their respective positions. Speaking to Sky F1, the Briton said it felt as if fans were "robbed" and that he felt really upset for them. He spoke about the two laps behind the safety car, saying:

“Money talks. And it was literally, the two laps to start the race, it’s all money scenario. So, everyone gets their money, and I think the fans should get theirs back too because unfortunately, they didn’t get to see what they came and paid for. It’s a shame we can’t do the race tomorrow. But yeah. And I love this track as well. I’m so sad that we couldn’t do this, but today wasn’t a race. I think the sport made a bad choice today.”

Max Verstappen scored 12.5 points for his P1 finish, while Hamilton scored only 7.5 points.

The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix now stands as the shortest F1 race ever to have a result, beating the 14-lap Australian Grand Prix in 1991.

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