Hamilton seizes F1 title lead from Webber

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, (Reuters) – McLaren’s  Lewis Hamilton won a chaotic and thrilling Belgian Grand Prix to  seize back the Formula One championship lead from Red Bull’s  Mark Webber yesterday.

Hamilton’s victory, despite a near-miss with the barriers in  the challenging conditions ranging from dry to wet, lifted him  three points clear of second-placed Webber at the top of the  standings with six races remaining.

“It was a great weekend, and very tough racing,” said the  Briton. “It almost feels like this is my first win. It’s just  phenomenal.”

The success, his third of the season, contrasted with team  mate and reigning world champion Jenson Button’s misfortune on a  sweet-and-sour day for the British team and their two world  champions.

Button, running behind Hamilton in a McLaren one-two at the  fast and flowing circuit, was shunted out of the race by  Webber’s young German team mate and title rival Sebastian Vettel  on the 17th of the 44 laps.

Vettel was given a drive-through penalty for causing a  collision and then plunged further back through the field after  tangling with Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi and puncturing his  own left rear tyre.

The German ended up 15th and out of the points for the third  time this year.

Webber, winner of four of the 13 races so far this season, had been on pole position but suffered a terrible start on a day where the fickle Spa weather played its hand to full effect and  the safety car was twice deployed.

“Lewis deserved the win, he did a good job,” the Australian  said.

Poland’s Robert Kubica finished third for Renault, losing  second with a pit-stop error but still taking a morale-boosting  result for a team who this time last year became embroiled in a  major race-fixing scandal that led to a suspended permanent ban.

Hamilton has 182 points to Webber’s 179 and Vettel’s 151.  Button is on 147.

Red Bull stay ahead of McLaren in the constructors’  standings by a single point.