Max Verstappen has criticised the FIA's decision to delay the start of the Belgian Grand Prix by one hour and 20 minutes due to heavy rain, arguing that the race could have started on time. The Red Bull driver, who finished fourth, claimed the track was ready and that a few laps behind the safety car would have cleared standing water. 'It was not even raining,' he said, adding that the delay prevented 'classic wet races'.
However, George Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, defended the governing body's call, citing poor visibility at high speeds. 'When you're doing over 200 miles an hour out of Eau Rouge, you literally cannot see anything,' he said. 'That isn't racing; it's just stupidity.' Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc also backed the decision.
Lewis Hamilton, who started 18th and finished seventh after a well-timed tyre change, sided with Verstappen. 'My car was set up for that, and they waited for it to dry,' he said. 'Especially at the end, it was a dry line with hardly any spray.' The race was eventually won by McLaren's Oscar Piastri.
The delay came after rain swept into Spa-Francorchamps just before the race, with the FIA opting not to proceed after one formation lap due to spray. The circuit has seen two fatalities in recent years: Anthoine Hubert in 2019 and Dilano van 't Hoff in 2023.
