Disappointed Verstappen sees rain racing 'disappearing' because of the FIA

The Belgian Grand Prix was supposed to start at 15:00, but rain was expected. The FIA made the decision to wait until the rain passed so that the drivers could drive on the intermediates for a while, before having switching for slicks.

This didn't turn out well for Verstappen and Red Bull, as the Dutchman was driving a car with a setup for a wet race. If the FIA continues to wait for dry weather, then a wet setup is always a disadvantage, according to the Dutchman.

Verstappen explains that his race was quite challenging. "Quite difficult. On the intermediates of course we made a choice with the setup, and then they only allow us to drive in almost slick conditions. That's a bit disappointing," he began to GPblog among others.

He continued: "Because we spoke after Silverstone to be a little bit more cautious with the positions, but this was then the other extreme for me. And then of course the choice that we made with the setup of the car was then of course the wrong one, because they didn't allow us to race in the wet."

In principle, Red Bull was extremely well prepared for the rain in Spa-Francorchamps, but if every race is postponed until it dries up, then preparing for the rain only puts a driver on the back foot.

"Once we got to the dry tyres we were just too slow on the straight. And then with the general balance problems that I already have with this car, it made everything just a bit worse," Verstappen continues.

When asked about when should the Grand Prix has begun, the Dutchman said: "3 o'clock straight away. It was not even raining. And of course between Turn 1 and 5 was quite a bit of water, 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 anyway ready to go and it's a bit of a shame."

Verstappen understands that the FIA wants to be more cautious after the British GP, but he thought the actions in Belgium were to the other extreme.

Asked whether this is because of the previous accidents in the rain at Spa, even with fatal consequences, he understands that safety comes into play. "Of course, at the end of the day, they do what they want," he referred to the stewards.