Daniel Ricciardo strengthened his outside chances of an unexpected late-season run at the championship by winning a dramatic Belgian GP after Mercedes' title-duelling drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton finally came together on track – to the detrimental effect of the Briton’s title chances.
It has taken 12 races, and several near misses and off-track flashpoints, but the kind of on-track tangle that most - including Mercedes' management - had thought was an inevitable consequence of Rosberg and Hamilton's hitherto private title duel finally happened on the second lap of Sunday's action-packed Spa race.
Challenging Hamilton on the run to Les Combes having lost the lead to his team-mate into the first corner of the race, Rosberg attempted to go round the outside of the sister W05 at the right-hander, but only succeeded in pucturing the Briton's tyre as the race leader came back to take the racing line.
Hamilton immediately pointed the finger at the championship leader -
With Hamilton forced to the back of the field, and eventually out of the race after a fruitless persuit of points with a car that had sustained wider damage, Rosberg lost the lead after pitting for a new front wing.
In the end it was Ricciardo, for the third time this season and second time in a row who triumphed, as Rosberg battled back to second place to increase his championship lead over Hamilton back out to 29 points.
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