Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa of Brazi (left) stands next to McLaren Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain on the podium of the Belgian F1 Grand Prix in Spa Francorchamps, Belgium, yesterday. Ferrari's Felipe Massa has been declared the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix after McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton was given a 25-second penalty for an illegal manoeuvre. - AP

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP):

Ferrari's Felipe Massa was declared the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix after McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton was penalised for cutting a vital corner on the track in a thrilling, late duel with world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton crossed the line with an edge of 14.4 seconds over Massa in a dramatic race after Raikkonen had crashed into the barrier, but the British driver was penalised with 25 seconds for his illegal manoeuvre.

FIA race stewards said in a statement that Hamilton "cut the chicane and gained an advantage" which quickly allowed him to take the lead from Raikkonen in the rain-splashed finale run on dry tires by most drivers.

The penalty demoted Hamilton to third place, with BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld promoted to second after he was one of the few to pick wet-weather tires in the final pit stop.

"This was a very strange race," Massa said.

McLaren could not immediately appeal yesterday's final results because it was officially a drive-through penalty which should have been applied during the race itself. However, McLaren decided it will launch an official complaint with FIA's International Court of Appeal. It was unclear when it would be officially lodged and heard.

"We have no other option," the team said in a statement, adding it will focus first on next Sunday's Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

So, almost three hours after Hamilton was spraying champagne on friends and rivals to celebrate perhaps his most dramatic victory and a widening gap in the overall standings, the penalty left the championship a lot closer.

Instead of an eight-point edge, Hamilton still retains the lead but only by a slender 76-74 margin with 50 more points at stake in the remaining five races.

It was Massa's second successive victory after his win two weeks ago in Valencia, and his most inconspicuous one. Apart from briefly leading during pit stop, he was never really in contention.

Furious battle

The incident that cost Hamilton came after the low-flung clouds over the wooded circuit suddenly released a huge shower in the last three of 44 laps. With most cars on dry tires after the final pit stop, it created more action in five minutes that many other tracks see in a whole race.

In a furious battle for first, Hamilton ran wide across the circuit's closing chicane and cut a corner. He said Raikkonen forced him by pushing him wide in the heat of the action and he did not want to crash into his opponent by staying on the track. Shortly afterward, though, Hamilton won the lead.

"He pushed me wide. I had no room," Hamilton said of the incident. "This is motor racing."