Fate can be so cruel, Spa review, Kimi's hopes crash in late rain

This was the cruel race for Kimi's hopes.

The reigning champion had just had misfortune with the previous race with his engine failing. Had he finished fourth there, he'd have been 8 points behind Lewis and just 2 points behind Massa, going into his favourite race, in Spa. As it was, after the blown engine in Valencia, Kimi was 13 points behind Hamilton and 7 points behind his team mate. After the Belgian GP in Spa, there would only be 5 races left. So if Kimi intended to catch up to his team mate, and show a real challenge for the championship to the end of the season - and get his team to support him as the number 1 driver - this was his must-do race. His must-win race.

But going into Spa, since Kimi started winning, he had won each of the race held in Spa (it is not held every year) ie three times. Thus neither of his rivals had won there. Spa is considered a driver's circuit demanding very brave and precise driving with real chances of overtaking. Just what the champion needed to re-ignite his championship chances. Incidentially, it was now 9 races since Kimi last won (in Spain, at Barcelona)

So, the qualifying did not go to plan. Kimi was down in 3rd position, with Massa in second and Hamilton at Pole Position. And my first comment here - Kimi has been horrendous in qualifying all season. Very much of the race is the qualifying position. Massa has outqualified him better than 2:1..

So, it was a wet race. Right at the start, Kimi takes a bold start and manages to pass Massa on the first lap. He's up to second. Then while the track is still very wet and slippery, Hamilton has a spin, and Kimi gets to his side, and then because Kimi has the better momentum, he out-drags Lewis and takes the lead. Then pushing hard, Kimi builds about a 10 second lead.

This is just what we wanted, a top driver, overtaking, brave moves, slippery, dangerous race, and a magnificent result, which would bring the title race even more close. Had the race finished with Kimi first, Lewis second and Massa third, the championship would have become 76 for Lewis, 70 for Massa and 67 for Kimi. He'd have been 11 points from the lead, with 5 more races to go. Kimi certainly would have know these numbers in his head, as he was comfortably leading the race.

Lewis admitted in post-race interviews that he thought he could not catch Kimi. But the racer instinct in Hamilton rose to the occasion. Lewis gradually worked the gap and towards the end of the race, he had caught Kimi.

So towards the end of the race they expected rain. It arrived four laps to the end. Lewis made a courageous overtaking move - which Kimi partially blocked - which forced Lewis to cut a chicane. He gave the position back to Raikkonen, but right afterwards, Hamilton attacked the Finn and passed the Ferrari in the next turn. This move would later be penalized.

Nonetheless, in the racing situation, Hamilton was now ahead of Raikkonen, leading the race once again. It did not last long. As the rain got heavier, the track turned into a skating rink, and lewis spun, Kimi passed him. Not a moment later, Kimi spun, and Lewis took to the lead again. Then - the cruel of cruellest fate - Kimi crashed.

Of all the cars at the rain in the end, only Kimi crashed. It seemed like fate had decided to crush Kimi's hopes in a most dramatic way. First to let him pass both of his rivals, and lead the race. Then with a couple of laps to go, take it all away.

As it ended, Lewis won, and brought his points total to 80. Massa finished second to 72 points. But Kimi received no points, and left Belgium with 57 points. 23 points behind the championship leader and - painfully - 15 points behind his team mate.

This was the de-facto end to Kimi's champhionship chances as Ferrari has to shift focus now to Massa for the championship. It did make me particularly sad, personally, that the brave race by Kimi did not get its just reward. If he was to crash, then not on this track, not after he had passed both Massa and Lewis to take the lead. This was crushing...

Now, as to the championship, its now a two-man race. I do admire Lewis's style and courage. He reminds me of Montoya when he joined F1, and seemed to invent overtaking places where they were not supposed to exist. If there were points given for overtaking, Lewis would be in the lead of that champhionship too. If I can't have Kimi (or Heikki) lead the championship, then certainly Hamilton is the most amazing driver out there, and I wish the champhionship to him.

Sorry Kimi, two-in-a-row was not to be. I truly hope Kimi is not thinking of retiring, but equally, this season, we haven't seen that Kimi we saw for so many years in the McLarens and now last year at Ferrari. He has not really pushed this year. I don't know why..

PS - the stewards penalized Lewis 25 sec for the advantage he got cutting chicane. I thought that was very rough penalty for Hamilton, but I also recall the rule was perhaps at some point, that you give back your gained position, and wait until after the next turn, to attack the car in front of you again.. if this was the rule (if I remember correctly) then the penalty is fair - for Lewis. It won't bring Kimi's broken car (or lost season) back.. McLaren have appealed the decision and we should know in a few weeks or so..