SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (Belgium), Sept 8: Lewis Hamilton insisted on Sunday that he did not deserve to be stripped of his thrilling Belgian Grand Prix victory.

The McLaren driver was penalised 25 seconds, and demoted to third place, for cutting a chicane in the closing stages of the rain-hit race as he duelled with Ferrari world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

The 23-year-old Hamilton, who saw title rival Felipe Massa promoted from second place to race winner, had to use the run-off area at the famed Bus Stop chicane in an evasive move to prevent a collision with Raikkonen.

He immediately ceded the lead to the Finn to prevent accusations of having gained an unfair advantage and insisted that he had not broken the rules.

“This is motor racing and if there’s a penalty, then there’s something wrong because I was ahead going into that corner, so I didn’t gain an advantage from it,” said Hamilton before the sanction was announced.

“We were still able to race at the next corner and I gave him his spot back, and I think it was fair and square, so I think it would be absolutely wrong. But you know what they (the stewards) are like, so we will see.” McLaren said they will appeal the punishment, which reduced Hamilton’s lead over Massa to just two points in the title chase with five faces left, with the FIA.—AFP