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Sebastian Vettel captures Belgian Grand Prix

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium – Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel sped away from first corner carnage to celebrate a commanding Belgian Grand Prix victory on Sunday and trim Lewis Hamilton's Formula One lead to 17 points with eight races remaining. Hamilton, last year's winner in Belgium, started from pole position but finished second for Mercedes while Red Bull's Max Verstappen gave his army of Dutch fans something to cheer with third place. In the battle of four-times world champions, Hamilton now has 231 points to Vettel's 214. "I had a great start, I'm not sure Lewis saw me as he pushed me to the left in the first lap, but after last year I ended up short, and this year it was the other way around," said Vettel of his decisive pass on Hamilton. "As soon as I was ahead I relaxed. I had a good restart after the safety car, and after that it was a very smooth race," he added. The start provided most of the afternoon's excitement, with Fernando Alonso's McLaren flying over Charles Leclerc's Sauber at the La Source hairpin after being rammed by Renault's Nico Hulkenberg. All three retired as the safety car was deployed for four laps but Leclerc had reason to thank the 'halo' head protection system -- introduced this season -- for allowing him to step away unscathed. Television close-up images after the race showed the structure heavily marked by the impact. "The Halo was a very good thing to have today. I think for him, it helped," commented Spaniard Alonso, who will be leaving Formula One at the end of the season. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, a four times winner in Belgium, and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo also collided at the start and retired after pitting, the Finn having to wait for his 100th career podium. At the front, Vettel swiftly seized the lead from Hamilton down the Kemmel straight on the opening lap and never looked back, taking the checkered flag 11.0 seconds clear of Hamilton. "He drove past me like I wasn't even there on the straight," said Hamilton, who was quick to shake his rival's hand and offer congratulations. "They have got a few trick things going on in the car," he added. "I did what I could, we did what we could so we have to keep working." It was the German's fifth win of the campaign, matching his British rival, and 52nd of his career -- one more than the great four times champion Alain Prost managed. Hamilton's team mate Valtteri Bottas finished fourth, and set the fastest lap, after starting 17th.

Did Ferrari block Montezemolo from becoming F1 chairman?

The Formula One Group has appointed a series of new directors to its board. But while ousted Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo is among them, the latest reports suggest that he was earmarked to become the group's chairman, but that Sergio Marchionne blocked the appointment. Montezemolo, for those just joining us, served as chairman of Ferrari since 1991, but was ousted just a couple of months ago by Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles who took his place at the head of the table in Maranello. During his tenure as Ferrari chief, Montezemolo sat as the team's representative on the F1 board (and also as chairman of the Formula One Teams Association), but despite having broken ties with Ferrari, Luca was renominated to the board as an independent member. That seat on the board, however, could have been at the head of the table, according to circulating reports, had Marchionne not expressed certain reservations, if not blocked the nomination outright. Montezemolo's appointment would have meant that both the F1 Group and the FIA would have been headed up by former Ferrari men, although Marchionne was quoted as saying that if it had been his call, he would have prevented Jean Todt from being elected to the presidency of the FIA as well. The chairmanship of the Formula One Group is separate from the role held by Bernie Ecclestone, who will continue to run the sport's day-to-day operations. Ecclestone has also rejoined the board along with Paul Walsh, the former head of distilling giant Diageo who was also tipped as a favorite to chair the F1 board. That role instead will return to Peter Brabeck, the former head of Nestle, who had previously stepped down from the chair of the Formula One Group.

Lewis Hamilton accepts Vettel's apology, has 'utmost respect'

SPIELBERG, Austria - Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton said he still had "the utmost respect" for Formula One title rival Sebastian Vettel after accepting a public apology from the Ferrari driver on Thursday. Speaking to reporters at a crowded Austrian Grand Prix news conference, the two men addressed a "road rage" controversy that has dominated the headlines since the June 25 race in Azerbaijan. "I still have the utmost respect for him as a driver and will continue to race him hard through the rest of the season," declared Hamilton, who said at the time that Vettel had "disgraced himself" by driving into him in Baku. He said Vettel called him on the Monday after the race and then texted an apology, which he accepted. The championship leader had driven into the back of Hamilton's Mercedes while both were following the safety car in first and second places, waiting for it to return to the pits. Vettel then pulled alongside, gesticulating angrily, before banging wheels. The German, a four times world champion, later accused Hamilton of "brake-testing" him by slowing suddenly. The car's telemetry subsequently showed that was not the case and Hamilton said the accusation was one he particularly wanted correcting. Vettel was handed a 10-second stop-and-go penalty, and finished fourth. He was then summoned to a hearing in Paris last Monday where the governing body declared the matter closed. Initially reluctant to dwell on the matter, saying he did not want to "pump this up more than it is already", the Ferrari driver on Thursday repeated the written apology. "It was the wrong move to drive alongside him and hit his tyres," he said. "I don't think there was any bad intention (by Hamilton). I don't think he actually brake-tested me. I was upset and over-reacted. I am not proud of the moment." Hamilton, 14 points behind Vettel after eight races, missed out on victory in Baku after a headrest worked loose and he had to pit. He finished fifth. Before Baku, the two world champions had made much of their mutual respect and the budding "bromance" seemed to be back on. "It's nice to hear that we are able to move forward," Vettel said. "I think the respect we have for each other on and off track helps us in this regard." Reporting by Alan Baldwin Related Video: