Hamilton holds off Vettela��s late move to win Belgian GP

For a brief moment, Lewis Hamilton feared he had lost the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Sebastian Vettel, on quicker tires with about 10 laps to go, drove up right alongside him on a long straight, and Hamilton thought a�?this might be it.a�?

But the British driver fended off his rival heading into the corner.

a�?It worked out perfect. It was great to go into Turn Five having just done enough,a�? Hamilton said. a�?He was able to get way too close. It was only just enough to stay ahead.a�?

After that, Vettel never got another chance to pass Hamilton and conceded some ground in the title race.

Hamiltona��s third Spa win helped him trim championship leader Vettela��s advantage over him to seven points, with eight races left in what is shaping up to be a nail-biting finish.

Hamiltona��s fifth win this season was his 58th overall, having equaled Michael Schumachera��s pole position record of 68 in Saturdaya��s qualifying.

Vettel finished about two seconds behind Hamilton.

a�?I was waiting for Lewis to make a mistake and he didna��t,a�? the German driver said. a�?Ia��m not entirely happy.a�?

The track was more suited to Mercedes than Ferrari, and Hamilton said improvement can still be made.

a�?This weekend we definitely didna��t have the race pace. The car is not quite where we need it,a�? said Hamilton, who was competing in his 200th GP. a�?It was only just enough to stay ahead.a�?

Four-time F1 champion Vettel has 220 points to three-time champion Hamiltona��s 213 heading into next weekenda��s Italian GP in Monza. a�� New Jersey Herald