Verstappen Questions Belgian GP Delay: "It Didn’t Make Sense"

Max Verstappen, driver for the Red Bull team, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision to delay the Belgian Grand Prix due to heavy rain. According to SkySport, Verstappen deemed the delay unnecessary and detrimental to his team’s strategy. This article examines Verstappen’s perspective, the reasons for the delay, and its impact on his race performance.

Heavy rain hit the Spa-Francorchamps circuit before the race, causing poor visibility behind the safety car. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) reported complaints from multiple drivers about these conditions, prompting race control to postpone the starting procedure. Drivers returned to the pit lane for over an hour until the weather improved.

Verstappen challenged this decision, arguing that the race should have started at 3:00 PM local time. “It wasn’t even raining. There was some water between Turns 1 and 5, but after two or three laps behind the safety car, the track would have been clear,” Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365. Referencing a similar incident at Silverstone, he noted that race control’s cautious approach was excessive in this case.

The delay affected Red Bull’s strategy, particularly Verstappen’s car setup for wet conditions. “We chose a setup for intermediate tires, but the race was allowed to proceed in near-dry conditions,” Verstappen explained. This rendered the setup suboptimal when the track transitioned to dry tires, causing Red Bull to lose speed on straights.

Verstappen, who spent much of the race trailing Charles Leclerc, finished fourth, marking his third consecutive race without a podium. “The car’s balance issues, combined with these conditions, made things worse,” he added, highlighting ongoing technical challenges for his team.

Max Verstappen criticized the Belgian Grand Prix delay as illogical, arguing it disrupted Red Bull’s strategy and performance. Despite missing the podium, Verstappen aims to address his car’s issues in upcoming races. For more Formula 1 updates, visit SPORTRIK.