Debate | The FIA's long delay made the Belgian Grand Prix's spectacle worse
Co-author:Kada Sárközi
Sandy is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog with growing expertise in the sport. Combining hands-on experience in interviews and paddock access with her studies in sports communication, she provides reliable coverage and fresh insights into the pinnacle of motorsport.
The FIA took a long time to get the Belgian Grand Prix underway. After waiting for about an hour and a half, the race eventually started behind the safety car. As a result, all the spectacle of a rainy Grand Prix was missing. What do the readers of GPblog think? Vote in our below!
The feature race of the Formula 3 was cancelled earlier in the day due to extreme conditions. Not much later, the feature race of Formula 2 started as planned. Talking to GPblog among others, Pirelli's Mario Isola predicted that in F3 conditions, the Formula 1 race will not begin either.
Around the planned start of the F1 Belgian Grand Prix, it was raining heavily. The FIA chose to wait for it to pass. The race eventually began at 16:20 behind the safety car. After that, there was a rolling start.
When the race started, the track was almost dry and the drivers could quickly switch for slicks. Because the FIA waited so long, all the spectacle of a classic wet race disappeared. A Belgian Grand Prix with hardly any overtaking followed.
Max Verstappen said after the Grand Prix that the start of the race took too long. The Dutchman was disappointed with the safe choices made by the governing body and saw his rain setup collapse. Lewis Hamilton agreed with the Red Bull Racing driver's opinion.
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But there are also people with different opinions. The FIA's delay can also be appreciated. After all, safety comes first, especially at a track like Spa-Francorchamps.
Max Verstappen on a wet track in Belgium - Red Bull Contentpool
The FIA's long wait made the Belgian Grand Prix worse?
What do the readers of GPblog think? Did the FIA wait too long to start the race? Or was this the right decision? Vote in the poll below and justify your opinion in the comments section!
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