Max Verstappen did not hide his displeasure after the Formula 1 race direction decided to postpone the start of the Belgian Grand Prix for over an hour, a measure that, according to him, directly harmed Red Bull as they had adjusted their car for a wet race.
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The intense rainfall that hit the Spa-Francorchamps circuit moments before the start led to the suspension of the race after the formation lap, due to poor visibility caused by the spray lifted by the cars. The persistent rain forced the start to be delayed until 4:20 pm local time, with an 80-minute delay from the scheduled time.
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Finally, the competition resumed after four laps behind the safety car, with a rolling start and conditions that quickly improved, allowing the drivers to switch to slick tires.
Oscar Piastri won the Belgian GP with a McLaren after taking the first place from his teammate Lando Norris on the first lap without the safety car.
Why did Verstappen get angry?
The change in conditions favored those who opted for a setup for dry track, which harmed Red Bull. The Austrian team had chosen a configuration with higher aerodynamic load, ideal for rain, which limited the straight-line speed of both Verstappen and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
In particular, that lack of speed prevented Verstappen from overtaking Charles Leclerc and he remained behind the Ferrari for 39 laps, which led him to finish in fourth place.
The champion, who won the sprint race on Saturday, expressed his disappointment at what he considered an overreaction by the stewards. “We made a decision with the setup and they only let us race in almost dry conditions, so it was a bit disappointing,” he said. He also referred to the accident that occurred at the British GP between Isack Hadjar and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, which would have prompted a more conservative approach in Belgium. “After Silverstone, we talked about being more cautious, but this was the opposite extreme for me,” he commented.
The Dutch driver added that, when forced to use slick tires on a car prepared for rain, his performance was limited. “Once we put on slick tires, we were too slow on the straight. And with the balance issues I already have with this car, everything became a bit worse."
Verstappen also stated that the track was in suitable conditions to start the race at the originally scheduled time, criticizing the drivers who requested a postponement: “Between turn 1 and 5 there was some water, but with two laps behind the safety car it would have been much clearer. The rest of the track was ready. The more you drive, the better it gets. And if you can’t see, you can always lift off. At some point you see... Then it’s better to say, ‘You know what? Let’s wait until it’s completely dry and start with slicks.’ Because this isn’t really racing in the rain. It’s a shame for everyone. We won’t see those classic wet races anymore.”
Other pilots supported the decision of the stewards
While Verstappen harshly criticized the organizers’ choice, other competitors expressed their support for the decision, especially considering the history of accidents at Spa-Francorchamps, a high-speed circuit marked by recent tragedies. In 2023, Formula Regional driver Dilano van’t Hoff lost his life after being hit by another car in intense rainy conditions.
Carlos Sainz, currently at Williams, pointed out that caution was justified. “In a normal circuit, yes, maybe we could have started 5-10 minutes earlier. In Spa-Francorchamps, with the history of this circuit, it’s better to be safe than sorry about an accident. You all saw the whole race, so I don’t think it was a bad decision. It was a safe decision, and I respect the race director because after the accidents in Silverstone, he said he would be more conservative here, and he did just that.”
Pierre Gasly, who lost his friend Anthoine Hubert in a Formula 2 accident at this same circuit six years ago, also supported the decision of the stewards. Although that incident occurred in dry conditions, it highlighted the risks that exist in areas like the Raidillon climb. “When we went out on the first lap, you couldn’t see anything, so it was the right call to bring out the red flag,” Gasly stated.