Verstappen calls for F1 race control overhaul – The 2025 Formula One Belgium Grand Prix will be recorded in the history books for a number of reasons. Firstly how pole position becomes a farcical place to start at race in Spa Francorchamps, with both Sprint and Grand Prix drivers starting in P1, swallowed up by the car behind them due to the powerful tow along the Kemmel straight.
On Saturday, it was Piastri who was to rue being quickest in Sprint qualifying, as Max Verstappen cruised by the McLaren driver on lap one to take the lead, something he did not relinquish before the chequered flag.
Piastri was to have the favour returned on Sunday, as he started the race behind his pole sitter team mate. Similarly come turn 5 at Les Combes, it was Piastri who led for the rest of the afternoon.
Hamilton unwanted Ferrari record
Lewis Hamilton earned a first for Ferrari, by becoming the first driver for the team to fail to make it out of an SQ1. Although on Sunday, being the first to gamble on dry tyres Hamilton mitigated his lowly starting position coming home a respectable seventh after starting from the pit lane.
The start of the race was delayed due to incoming heavy rain on all the teams radars. The decision was taken to run the formation lap behind the safety car before a red flag was thrown and the cars returned in order to the pit lane.
Almost ninety minutes later the Grand Prix was finally underway, although again behind the safety car which remained at the head of the field for a surprising four laps before releasing there cars to race. The circuit by now had dried significantly as evidenced by the intermediate rain tyres which were destroyed after a handful of racing laps.
At the end of what was to become something of a processional afternoon, Verstappen was incensed at the inordinate delay before the Grand Prix got under way. During the formation lap he was told of the red flag and to return to the pit lane over team radio, something he described at the time as “silly.”
Max accuses race control of being “extreme”
“That’s a bit silly. We should just run, like chillax. Jesus. They’re way too cautious,” replied the world champion.
Red Bull like others had set their cars up for rain and so cranked up the downforce, which improves grip in the wet but in the dry makes the car impotent along the Kemmel straight. Verstappen spent an afternoon staring at the red wing of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, who with a lower downforce setup could easily keep the Red Bull driver behind him.
“We should have started miles earlier, an hour earlier. A bit of a shame,” said the frustrated world champion in the media pen after the race. “They took a very cautious approach which we spoke about after Silverstone, to be a little bit more cautious.
“But, for me, this was then the other extreme. It just ruined a nice, classic wet race as well. We either still try to push for a proper wet race, or we say, ‘You know what, let’s just stop racing in the wet and wait for it to be dry. But that’s not what you want, right? We can still have some really cool wet racing, like we showed at Silverstone,” Verstappen concluded.
Hamilton says Ferrari set up for rain
Of course Max has demonstrated his talent when the conditions are treacherous and had the race started much earlier, he would have easily passed Leclerc and potentially been able to challenge the McLaren drivers.
And Max was not the only one critical of the FIA officials decision to wait until the sun was out before starting the Grand Prix, as once arch nemesis of the Dutch driver when asked for his thoughts on Verstappen’s comments whole heartedly agreed.
“I would agree,” said Lewis Hamilton post race. “My car was set up for that as well. They waited for it to dry.” Lewis also was bemused by the decision not to start the race as usual from a standing start.“Definitely could have done a standing start, especially at the end there. It was almost a dry line. It was hot in the spray. So definitely could have done it.”
The standing start was aborted following comments over team radio from Lando Norris during the period behind the safety car. He observed the right side of the circuit, where he would start on pole, was far wetter than the left. The implication is those with odd numbered starting positions would be disadvantaged.
A reaction to Silverstone cricisim
It seems there were concerns expressed after the heavy rain at the start of the previous race weekend in Silverstone, the the FIA could have delayed the race for a short time, given the weather conditions were predicted to improve.
This briefing with the drivers on Friday appears to have handed carte blanche to the race director Rui Marques to hold off the start for some eighty minutes in Belgium until the sunshine was out and the temperatures rising quickly.
Whilst decisions over safety from the FIA are expected, they should be consistent not swing from one extreme in Silverstone to another. The decision in Spa by in effect cancelling wet running, interferes with decisions made by the teams on how to set up their cars.
How Red Bull & Max duped the F1 paddock
Race control ignored crucial factor
During the safety car period, the drivers are instructed to stay in line which meant their views were significantly obscured by the cars in front. This in part affected race control’s decision making, but they failed to take an important factor into account.
When an F1 race is affected by spray, the drivers are travelling at a reduced pace and us alternative parts of the track to improve their visibility. This was clear when the 2025 Belgium Grand Prix finally got under way, as on the start finish straight Piastri immediately moved to the right and the view from his onboard camera was radically improved.
Rui Marques was appointed F1 race director with three races remaining of the 2024 season, now sixteen race weekends in he should be on top of all these issues, not acting like a stick in the mud health and safety officer.
MORE F1 NEWS – Huge tow advantage in Spa to disappear with new FIA rules
Spa Francorchamps is a classic old school Formula One circuit, despite it being neutered from its original nine mile layout which was last raced in in 1979. Such was the fearsome reputation of the track which wended its way through the Ardennes Forrest, that drivers started to refuse to race there, forcing a number of racing categories to find an alternative venue.
In 1969, the F1 drivers agreed to boycott the Belgium Grand Prix due to the extreme danger of the circuit. There were ten racing fatalities in the 1960’s including five in the previous two visits. Safety measures including improved crash barriers were implemented and F1 returned the following year.
The final year before the circuit was slashed to just 4.3 miles, only the Formula One racing series had dared to visit the circuit and so for commercial reasons it was decided to abandon a large part of the layout which was particularly high risk…. READ MORE
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