Verstappen and Hamilton unhappy with ‘overcautious’ rain delay at Spa

Multiple world champions Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton both accused race organisers of being overcautious on Sunday when the start of the Belgian Grand Prix was delayed by 80 minutes following heavy rain.

Four-time world champion Verstappen said he believed that instead of suspending the race after one formation lap behind the Safety Car, Race Control should have kept the field out on the track to clear standing water.

“It wasn’t even raining,” he said, referring to the decision taken at the scheduled race start time of 1500 local time (1300 GMT).

“Of course, between Turns One and Five, there was quite a bit of water.

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“But if you do two or three laps behind the Safety Car, then it would have been a lot more clear — and the rest of the track was ready to go anyway.

“It’s a bit of a shame. I knew that they would be a bit more cautious because of Silverstone, but this also didn’t make sense.

“Then, it’s better to say ‘let’s wait until it’s completely dry’ and we’ll start on slicks because this is not really wet weather racing for me.”

Instead of staying out, however, the field were taken back into the pit lane to wait for more than an hour, waiting until improved weather conditions prevailed.

The race then began with a rolling start after four laps behind the Safety Car.

Verstappen finished off the podium for the third consecutive race as series leader Oscar Piastri led team-mate Lando Norris home in a convincing McLaren 1-2.

– ‘Over-reacting’ –

Ferrari’s Hamilton said race organisers had over-reacted after Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Alpine’s Isack Hadjar collided at Silverstone in poor visibility.

“We started the race a little bit too late, I would say,” he said. ““I kept shouting that ‘it’s ready to go it’s ready to go’, but they kept going round and round.

“I think they’re probably over-reacting from the last race, where we asked them not to re-start the race too early because the visibility was bad.

“This weekend, I think they just went too far the other way. We didn’t need a rolling start.”

After a disappointing Saturday when he was twice eliminated in the first part of qualifying, for the sprint race and the Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion responded with a rousing drive through the field from 18th to finish seventh.

“I always love races like that where you’re challenged and have to make your way through the field,” said the 40-year-old Briton.

“But, ultimately, I’m disappointed to have had not such a great weekend — definitely one to forget, but at least I’ve still got some points.

“And, we outscored Mercedes, but I’ve got to go back — and you can’t always get it right. There are lots of factors that contributed to Friday and Saturday, but ultimately me. Obviously I recovered a little bit today, but big thanks to the team. I will try and come stronger next week.”

– ‘A safe call’ –

However, Williams driver Carlos Sainz supported the decision as “a safe call” given the history of the sprawling high-speed circuit.

“My respect to the Race Director because he told us after Silverstone – and the accidents at Silverstone – that he would play it safer here and that is what he did,” said Sainz.

He accepted that the race could have started much earlier on a ‘normal’ circuit, but pointed out that as a result of the decision taken the race was run for a full 44 laps.

“On a normal track, yes,” he said. “I think maybe we could have started earlier by five or ten minutes. But at Spa-Francorchamps, and with the history of the track, it is better to be safe than sorry.

“You got the whole race. You got to watch the full race. So, I don’t think it was a bad call. A safe call, yes.”

The Spa-Francorchamps circuit has been the scene of 53 fatalities including two in the last six years due to poor weather conditions.

“That’s why it’s better to be safe than to have an accident and to be regretful,” added Sainz.