Max Verstappen Condemns Delayed Belgian Grand Prix Start Amid Wet Weather

Max Verstappen condemned arsenic unne­ces­sary nan FIA determination to hold nan commencement of nan Belgian Grand Prix because of adverse upwind conditions, but his position was countered by George ­Russell, a head of nan Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, who insisted immoderate different telephone from nan ­governing assemblage would person been “stupidity” fixed nan conditions and nan dan­gerous quality of nan Spa‑Francorchamps circuit.

The commencement was delayed by an hr and 20 minutes aft rainfall swept into Spa conscionable earlier nan race. The FIA opted not to proceed aft 1 statement thigh because nan visibility fixed nan spray from nan cars was truthful poor. The circuit is enormously accelerated and challenging and tin beryllium vulnerable moreover successful bully conditions. There person been 2 fatalities successful caller years, Anthoine Hubert successful 2019 and Dilano van ’t Hoff successful 2023.

Verstappen, whose Red Bull car had been readied to make nan astir of a bedewed race, was insistent that nan drivers could person coped and that arsenic they began racing they would person been capable to clear nan opinionated water.

When asked erstwhile he believed nan title should person begun, he said: “Three o’clock, consecutive away. It was not moreover raining. Between move 1 and 5 location was rather a spot of h2o but if you do 2 aliases 3 laps down nan information car, past it would person been a batch much clear, and nan remainder of nan way was fresh to go.”

The Dutchman, who vanished 4th successful nan title won by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, concluded pinch a swipe astatine nan FIA. “Of people astatine nan extremity of nan time they do what they want, right? I mean, they decide. I conscionable find it is simply a spot of a shame for everyone, you will ne'er spot these classical benignant of bedewed races immoderate more.”

Russell, however, was among different drivers – including Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – who felt nan determination had been correct. “As a racer, you ever want to get going, you emotion driving successful nan rain,” he said. “But nan truth is, erstwhile you’re doing complete 200 miles an hr retired of Eau Rouge, you virtually cannot spot anything, you whitethorn arsenic good person a blindfold on. [That] isn’t ­racing; it’s conscionable stupidity. Considering it was intelligibly going to beryllium barren from 4pm onwards, they made nan correct call.”

Verstappen’s view, though, was echoed by Lewis Hamilton, who started 18th but vanished seventh aft he called nan infinitesimal to alteration complete to slick tyres perfectly, fixed nan way had dried very quickly. “I would work together [with Verstappen],” he said. “My car was group up for that [wet conditions], and they waited for it to dry. Especially astatine nan end, it was a barren statement pinch hardly immoderate spray.”