Belgian Grand Prix stewards have handed a retrospective 25 second time penalty to McLaren s Lewis Hamilton for cutting the chicane whilst fighting over the lead with Kimi Raikkonen. The penalty means that Ferrari s Felipe Massa is now the race winner, BMW Sauber s Nick Heidfeld is promoted to second, with Hamilton now demoted to third.
The result means that Hamilton still leads the drivers championship with 76 points, just two points ahead of Felipe Massa. Robert Kubica is in third with 58. Raikkonen s non-finish in today s race means he is now fourth with 57 points. Ferrari continue to lead the constructors championship with 131 points, with McLaren now on 119 points.
It comes as no surprise that McLaren are not happy with the Belgian race stewards decision and they have lodged a notice of intention to appeal against the penalty. The appeal will now be heard in front of the FIA. Ferrari have insisted that they did not launch any protest with race officials over Hamilton s overtaking manoeuvre.
