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Belgian racing driver Max Verstappen has criticised the decision to delay the start of the Belgian Grand Prix by over an hour due to rain, claiming race organisers were being overly cautious.
The reigning four-time world champion expressed his frustration after the race, arguing that conditions did not warrant such a lengthy suspension.
The race, initially scheduled to start at 3:00 pm local time (1:00 pm GMT), was postponed by 80 minutes due to standing water on parts of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
However, Verstappen suggested the situation could have been managed more effectively by simply allowing a few formation laps to help disperse the water.
“It wasn’t even raining at that point,” Verstappen said. “Between Turns One and Five, there was some water, but if you do two or three laps behind the Safety Car, that clears up. The rest of the track was fine.”
He noted that the decision seemed to be an overreaction to the safety concerns raised at previous wet races, particularly at Silverstone.
“It’s a shame. If that’s the approach, you may as well wait until it’s completely dry and start on slicks. That’s not wet weather racing.”
Instead of continuing behind the Safety Car, race officials opted to bring all drivers back into the pit lane, delaying proceedings until weather conditions improved. The Grand Prix eventually began with a rolling start after four laps behind the Safety Car.
Verstappen ultimately missed out on a podium finish for the third race in a row, as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri led teammate Lando Norris to a dominant one-two finish.
Reflecting on his performance, Verstappen blamed the delayed start and subsequent drying track for compromising Red Bull’s race strategy.
“We had set the car up for intermediates, expecting a wet race. But when they only let us drive in nearly dry conditions, that setup became a disadvantage,” he explained.
“Once we switched to slicks, we were too slow on the straights, and that, combined with the overall balance issues I’ve been having with this car, made it even worse.”
