Hamilton surprised by third-place finish at Belgian GP

Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he surprised himself with a third-place finish despite starting in 21st place at the Belgian Grand Prix because of engine penalties.

Hamilton produced a sensational performance to finish on the podium after starting from the back row of the grid in chaotic crash-hit race at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.

With the third-place finish behind Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, Hamilton has managed to still hold a nine-point lead over his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.

Reflecting on his performance, Hamilton, who took three new engines over the weekend, admitted that he had not expected to finish on the podium and credited Mercedes FI team for building and changing engines through the weekend, the Guardian reported.

Meanwhile, Rosberg led from the start to finish in a 44-laps race to secure his first victory in Belgium and his sixth of the season.