A controversial 25-second penalty reversed Lewis Hamilton's victory, handing Felipe Massa the win and tightening the 2008 drivers' championship to two points.
Key Facts
- Race lap count
- 44 laps
- Championship round
- 13th of the 2008 season
- Hamilton's penalty
- 25 seconds
- Championship gap after race
- 2 points (Massa vs Hamilton)
- Classified winner
- Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
- Race date
- 7 September 2008
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Lewis Hamilton started from pole position but spun on lap two, allowing Kimi Räikkönen to lead. On lap 41, rain began to fall, and Hamilton overtook Räikkönen at the Bus Stop chicane by cutting it, gaining a contested advantage before Räikkönen crashed on the following lap as conditions worsened.
The 2008 Belgian Grand Prix was held at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on 7 September 2008. Hamilton crossed the line first, but race stewards issued him a 25-second post-race penalty for gaining an advantage by cutting the chicane, promoting Felipe Massa to first and Nick Heidfeld to second.
McLaren appealed the penalty to the FIA International Court of Appeal, but the case was declared inadmissible on the grounds that 25-second penalties cannot be challenged. The decision sparked widespread press debate, particularly in the UK and Italy. Massa's victory narrowed Hamilton's championship lead from six points to just two.