F1: Hamilton and Verstappen question rain-delayed Belgium GP delay as others back FIA

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen questioned race control’s handling of the rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday as rival drivers commended Formula One’s governing body for putting safety first.

The race at Spa-Francorchamps was delayed for an hour and 20 minutes as officials waited for rain to stop and conditions to dry out.

The safety car then led the field for four laps before a rolling start.

“I think we could have started way sooner, that’s not ideal,” Red Bull’s four-time world champion Verstappen told reporters, adding that in the end, there had been very little racing in the wet.

Hamilton, who went from the pit lane to seventh, said he did not think the rolling start was necessary.

“I don’t really know why they did that one, because it had dried up quite a lot and the spray wasn’t that bad,” added the Briton.

The high-speed Spa circuit is the longest lap on the calendar, and weather conditions can be treacherous. It also has a tragic past.

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French Formula Two driver Anthoine Hubert died in a crash at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix at the exit of Raidillon, at the top of the famed Eau Rouge, while Dutch teenager Dilano van’t Hoff died in a junior series crash in 2023.

The list is much longer when the sport’s distant past is considered.

“I think the past few years, particularly here, we’ve given the FIA feedback that we would much rather be on the safe side than risk anything,” said McLaren’s race winner and championship leader Oscar Piastri.

“I think that’s what we did today. If you were to be picky, maybe we could have done one less formation lap. But in the grand scheme of things, if that’s one lap too early, is it worth it? No.”

Ferrari’s third-placed finisher Charles Leclerc, whose family friend Jules Bianchi suffered fatal injuries in a crash at the rain-hit 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, agreed.

“On a track like this, with what happened historically, I think you cannot forget about it. For that reason, I’d rather be safe than too early,” he said. “Maybe it was a little bit on the late side, but I wouldn’t have changed anything.”

Williams’ Carlos Sainz, who started near the back and would have suffered in the spray, supported race control.

“In a normal track, yes, I think we could have started maybe 5-10 minutes earlier. In Spa-Francorchamps and the history of this track, it’s better safe than sorry,” said the Spaniard.