LEWIS Hamilton recovered from the back row of the grid to finish third at the Belgian Grand Prix as Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg won a dramatic race.The German’s victory from pole position in a race punctuated by a violent crash for Renault’s Kevin Magnussen reduces his points deficit to Hamilton to nine.
Magnussen was taken to hospital with an injury to his left ankle after a huge crash at 180mph at Raidillon.
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo was second, holding off a late Hamilton charge.
Hamilton started in 21st place on the grid, after a raft of engine penalties resulting from failures early in the season. His partner back there in probably the most talented back row in F1 history was his old rival Fernando Alonso, who used three engines this weekend.
The two made brilliant starts to the race to pass the pits for the first time with Alonso in 11th and Hamilton 13th, helped by a chaotic first lap ahead of them.
A concertina accident between the two Ferraris and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull left all three with damage at the first corner and dropped them down the field – and further back McLaren’s Jenson Button was taken out when Manor’s Pascal Wehrlein smashed up his rear at Les Combes.
Starting on the medium tyres, Alonso and Hamilton moved up as others stopped in front of them on their softer rubber and were in fourth and fifth on lap eight, when Magnussen lost control through the final part of the Eau Rouge swerves.
The Renault spun and smashed into the barriers on the outside of the track, the Dane’s cockpit head protection material flying out of the car in the violence of the impact.
He limped away from the accident but an investigation at the medical centre showed him to have an injury and he was taken to hospital.(BBC Sport)