International press: 'Verstappen wins parody of a race'

It was a disappointing weekend in Belgium. For hours the fans waited for a race that never came. The drivers said it after the race and also in the international media, there are question marks about the course of Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps. In the end, Max Verstappen is the one who pulls the longest straw and gains five points on competitor Lewis Hamilton.

La Gazzetta dello Sport

The Italian newspaper questions the way things went in Belgium. Reporter Giusto Ferronato even mentions "the somewhat embarrassing image of a race director who decided to drive three laps behind the safety car". According to him, there had to be a result at all costs. "This was done to have a result, as according to the rules, an order of finish was established with half the points. But in reality there was no game." For Max Verstappen, however, luck finally fell his way. "So all in all, the situation worked out in favour of Verstappen, who picked up points on Hamilton with virtually no race."

Marca

Spanish website Marca refers to the Belgian Grand Prix as "spooky". "It is true that the conditions were terrible and that driver safety is now the only measure that counts in F1 when it comes to starting a race." Reference is made to earlier times in Formula 1, when racing would simply be done in these conditions. "The Belgian Grand Prix epitomised what modern F1 is all about, on a circuit with no more water than Barcelona in 1996, when Schumacher won his first race with Ferrari and only six cars finished, or Estoril 1985, when Ayrton Senna dazzled the world with his first win in a Lotus when there was 10cm of water on the tarmac."

Bild

"Chaos!" is how the German medium describes Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps. "The Belgian Grand Prix is probably the craziest Formula One race of all time. In the middle of the rain. There have been some chaotic races at the Belgian Grand Prix before, but this surpasses them all... Max Verstappen wins a race that was never really a race, and after two laps he takes half of the 25 victory points."

L'Equipe

At the French L'Equipe, they are not satisfied with the Belgian Grand Prix. According to the French, Formula 1 made a "fool of itself by giving victory to Verstappen and a first podium to Russell, without a meter of the race being done". It was a sad day, especially for the spectators. "Until 7pm they hoped for action that never came, even though this Belgian Grand Prix that should not have taken place declared a winner on Monday morning and provided a pathetic stage for fans who, under the deluge, will have dreamed of something other than this parody of a race."