Lewis Hamilton held off a spirited challenge from Sebastian Vettel to cut the German’s lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship to just seven points.
On the 25th anniversary of Michael Schumacher’s first Grand Prix win, Hamilton set about emulating the racing legend in style.
To mark the occasion, Schumacher’s son, Mick, drove his father’s 1994 title-winning car around the track at Spa before the drivers battled it out around the famous circuit.
Just as Schumacher did in his 200th race, Hamilton put in an imperious performance to reach the checkered flag first.
The Brit has now won 58 of the 200 Grand Prix he has competed in.
“Sebastian put a great fight on, but I did what I came here to do,” Hamilton told Mark Webber after stepping off the top step of podium.
After Force India teammates Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon collided on lap 30, the safety car was called out for debris on the track, a move which blew the race wide open.
Just five seconds separated the top five drivers, before Hamilton and Vettel pulled away from the pack.
The German then began to put the pressure on Hamilton, but a faultless drive meant a real challenge for first place never really materialized.
“It was really intense. I was waiting for Lewis to make a mistake but he didn’t,” Vettel said after the race. “I was too close at the restart.”
More to follow…