Lewis Hamilton was reminded of Spa 2008 after the absolute bonkers race that was the Saudi Arabian GP.
Spa 2008 is a historical race in F1, and the one that Hamilton will remember for a long time. It was the race in which he won his first world championship looked well and truly out until his miraculous fightback later in the year. Thirteen years later, he is gunning for his eighth one.
In the decade that has passed, many rivals have stepped up to challenge Hamilton, and he has remained clinical and constant throughout. That day saw him duel with Kimi Raikkonen, and the pair dropped all jaws with their racing.
The Saudi Arabian GP saw Hamilton in Raikkonen’s position, with his rival on the receiving end of penalties like the seven-time champion was back then. The difference is that both drivers finished the race in Jeddah.
Hamilton was reminded of Spa 2008, and likened the Saudi Arabian GP to that memorable race.
“I was just reminiscing about 2008 in Spa, in my first championship-winning year, when I was fighting Kimi into the last corner of the chicane,” he said, as quoted by Planet F1.
“He ran me wide and I went across the chicane and had to let him back past, but then I overtook him straight away and I remember (race director) Charlie Whiting telling the team it was okay and then finishing the race – Kimi obviously didn’t finish the race – but then getting I think it was a 10-second (penalty) or whatever it was, 20 seconds, and then finishing third.”
Whew
Now Hamilton knows what it is like to be on the receiving end of aggressive driving. He expressed his relief at being able to cross the line in Saudi Arabia.
“I felt grateful I obviously didn’t take us both out,” he said.
“For me, I need to be finishing both races and get all these points and it’s obviously tough to do so in these circumstances, but I managed to keep the car in one piece.”
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