The FIA screwed McLaren - Mercedes supertar Lewis Hamilton before the 2008 F1 Italian Grand Prix

And this may have cast a dark cloud over what has been one of the best finishes ever seen in a Formula One race.

After what has become one of the best races of the 2008 F1 season, Lewis Hamilton was stripped of the win in Belgium after coming up with a rather wild maneuver to overtake then race leader Kimi Raikkonen.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was penalized for cutting the chicane and gaining an advantage over Kimi Raikkonen to force the Ferrari driver to lose 25 precious seconds and deny him of what looked like a sure win in Belgium.

And since Raikkonen's teammate, Felipe Massa, finished second fastest after Raikkonen smacked the tire wall spinning after Hamilton's antics, he was awarded with the win and the full 10 championship points.

Hamilton is credited with six.

That leaves us with yet another close finish for the championship. Lewis Hamilton still leads the championship standings with 76 but now by just the slimmest of margins. Felipe Massa, after being awarded with the win in Belgium, now has 74.

Kimi Raikkonen, on the other hand, may have lost his chance to defend his world championship this season after after crashing out in Belgium, taking himself out of the title picture.

For what it's worth, McLaren plans to appeal the decision against their prized driver. F1's governing body, the FIA, will hear the appeal at a hearing of the World Motor Sports Council, a date for which has not yet been set.

Former champion and television commentator Niki Lauda said that Hamilton's penalty was the worst judgment in the history of F1. ''It's absolutely unacceptable when three stewards influence the championship like this,'' the Austrian said.

McLaren have had several run-ins with the sports governing body in the last 12 months. Before last year's Belgian Grand Prix, they were famously excluded from the constructors' championship and fined $100m for allegedly using confidential information belonging to Ferrari.

Who will win the 2008 F1 Drivers Championship? Bodog Sportsbook has the odds.

Kimi Raikkonen 2.75

Lewis Hamilton 3.00

Fernando Alonso 7.00

Felipe Massa 7.00

Want more odds? Visit Bodog for more F1 betting odds and the best betting lines on some of today's biggest sporting events.

Lewis Hamilton 2008 F1 Belgium Grand Prix