Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton makes last-minute decision to WIND UP Verstappen during Belgian Grand Prix

Hamilton and Mercedes made a late decision that Verstappen would not have been pleased with

Joe Ellis

Sunday 30 July 2023 16:36 Updated: 16:42

Lewis Hamilton opted to pit late in the Belgian Grand Prix to claim the extra point for fastest lap, denying Max Verstappen in the process.

The championship leader was looking set for a full haul of points having held the fastest lap of Spa throughout the race but his old rival had other ideas.

Pitting onto brand new medium tyres with two laps to go, Hamilton set a 1:47:305 to take the extra point and deny Verstappen the perfect weekend.

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Verstappen still extended his points lead with victory as Sergio Perez completed a Red Bull one-two and Charles Leclerc finished third.

Every point matters

As we have seen previously this season, Verstappen will try to earn every point he possibly can regardless of his lead in the standings.

He pitted late on in Austria in order to ensure he would get the extra point for the fastest lap and if he had a slightly bigger lead at Spa, he may well have done so here.

The only thing preventing him from doing so was his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and Perez who was just about close enough to not make it comfortable.

Hamilton, therefore, had a free run at it in the Mercedes and you can almost guarantee that it will irk Verstappen even if it's only a tiny bit.