Lewis Hamilton drives through Eau Rouge corner at the Belgian Grand Prix [GALLO/GETTY]

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 handed a 25 second penalty.

FIA 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.

McLaren could not immediately appeal Sunday'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 heard.

'No option'

Hamilton didn't have his hands on the trophy for long [GALLO/GETTY]

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.

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.

Furious battle

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."

The stewards disagreed.

Raikkonen, who overtook the pole-sitting Hamilton early and led most of the way, is far back in fourth position with 57 points in the world standing, likely turning the rest of the championship into a two-way race between Hamilton and Massa.

BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica is third with 58 points.

It long looked like Raikkonen would win his fourth straight Belgian GP but the rain was enough to decide the race.

Spectacular dodging

Massa can eventually celebrate [GALLO/GETTY]

The British driver soon lost the lead again to Raikkonen, however, when he had to veer off the track to avoid a slower car in front of him.

Raikkonen was forced to take risks through the heavy traffic of lagging cars before spinning and finally crashing into the side railings.

"I saw these guys fighting like crazy," Massa said.

Heidfeld was the only leading driver to switch to wet-weather tires late, letting him make up much ground with a final surge.

Hamilton had promised to drive conservatively to pile on the points and get to his first world title.

However, the challenge to prove himself the best in the wet on dry tires was too much to resist against world champion Raikkonen on one of the sport's toughest circuits.

"My heart was racing more than it ever has before," Hamilton said. "I
am a racing driver. This is what I do best.

"You race down to the last minute. You don't turn the engine down and back off and just take the points in that situation."