BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
Lewis Hamilton needs to catch Vettel in his 200th race
London — Lewis Hamilton will start the 200th Grand Prix of his Formula One career in Belgium this weekend but the world champion has smaller yet more significant numbers on his mind. Refreshed from an August break in the Caribbean, including a trip to Cuba in his role as UN Children’s Fund ambassador, the Briton is 14 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel as he heads into the second half of the season. A fifth victory of 2017 for the Mercedes driver would put the pressure back on Ferrari’s Vettel and Hamilton can celebrate another milestone by bagging pole position on Saturday at the long and fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit. That would result in Hamilton, who sportingly relinquished third place to teammate Valtteri Bottas in Hungary before the midseason shutdown, matching the record of 68 poles set by Michael Schumacher with Ferrari in 2006. Mercedes have won the last two Belgian Grand Prixes, with now retired 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg triumphant from pole in 2016...
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