Hamilton agrees with Verstappen that Belgian GP should not have been delayed
Following a delay of one hour and 20 minutes – which the FIA said was due to 'poor visibility' – the race eventually got under way, albeit in a rolling start after four laps behind the safety car.
Hamilton was able to switch from intermediates to dry tyres after just seven racing laps.
And when it was put to Hamilton, who made up 11 places to finish seventh, that Verstappen claimed the race should have started immediately, he replied: 'I would agree. My car was set up for that, and they waited for it to dry. Especially at the end. It was a dry line with hardly any spray.'
There have been 49 driver/rider fatalities at Spa-Francorchamps in the last 100 years – most recently Dutch 18-year-old Dilano Van 't Hoff in 2023, and Frenchman Anthonie Hubert in a Formula Two race four years previously.
The last Formula One race at Silverstone also took place in wet conditions, and Hamilton, 40, continued: 'It was just a reaction to Silverstone.
'We sat down and spoke about it after Silverstone. Lots of drivers in the last race said we shouldn't have restarted, because of a lack of visibility. And as soon as someone up ahead said, 'visibility is pretty bad' which, it wasn't great but it wasn't as bad as the last race, they just decided to wait.
'They still did a good job. Of course we did miss some of the extreme wet weather racing, which would have been nice. But for some reason the spray here is like a fog.'
🔴 RED FLAG 🔴
It's very wet out there and visibility is poor. The drivers will head back to the pit lane to wait for conditions to improve #F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/gVpZV2FO10
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 27, 2025
In 2021, the rain-hit race was abandoned after just two laps behind the safety car. Defending the decision to delay the start of Sunday's event, Hamilton's Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc said: 'On a track like this you cannot forget about the history and what has happened in the past so I would rather be safe than go early.'
Oscar Piastri, who won in Belgium to extend his championship lead over Lando Norris to 16 points, continued: 'We have given the FIA feedback that we would much rather be on the safe side.
'If you were being picky you might say we could have done one fewer lap behind the safety car but is the risk worth it?
'The first time we tried to start the race, with only Lando ahead, I couldn't see a thing, so you can imagine what it is like for the guys at the back.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
William Saliba drops telling two-word update on Arsenal contract talks
Arsenal defender William Saliba was asked about progress on a new contract after the Gunners beat Newcastle 3-2 in Singapore as their preparations for the new season continue William Saliba says he will sign a contract extension with Arsenal"hopefully soon" following speculation that the club want to tie him down to a new deal soon. The Gunners have been busy in the transfer market ahead of the new Premier League season after finishing second for a third successive campaign. Deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera were all wrapped up last week as Mikel Arteta 's men headed off for their pre-season tour. And Arsenal followed their strong early business up by finalising a deal for Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon over the weekend. Contract talks have also been on the club's agenda this summer and there has been noise over potential talks with Saliba, who has been heavily linked with Real Madrid in recent months. The France international, 24, was asked when he was signing a new Gunners contract after Sunday's 3-2 win over Newcastle in Singapore by AFTV - and he replied positively. "Hopefully soon," Saliba said before crossing his fingers and pointing to the sky, adding: "God is great." Saliba committing his future to the club long-term would be a major boost for Arsenal. The former Saint-Etienne man has struck up a formidable partnership with Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal's defence and his current terms expire in 2027. His imperious performances for Arsenal over the past few years has seen him emerge as a target for Real Madrid, who are thought to be keen on signing Saliba next year when the Frenchman will have just 12 months left on his deal. Arsenal, though, remain determined to keep hold of one of their top stars for the foreseeable future. Speaking earlier this year, Saliba declared he was "really happy" at Arsenal in the wake of transfer speculation. "I've been here for two years and a half as well. There is nothing. I'm happy here and I want to continue here," he said. "I want to win big things with Arsenal. If you leave this club without winning anything the fans will forget about you. I want to win big things here. "I want to be one day the best defender in the world. I know I have to work a lot and to win trophies as well – but that's my dream." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Jos Verstappen squirms after being hit with awkward Christian Horner question as father of Red Bull star Max is grilled on rift with ex-team boss following his Formula One sacking
Jos Verstappen was left squirming on live television as former world champion Nico Rosberg confronted him with his past comments about Christian Horner. Horner was dismissed as team principal and CEO of Red Bull earlier this month after 20 years with the team, having overseen their transformation from upstart on the grid to winner of six constructors' championships and eight drivers' championships. Although his sacking came over a year after the former team principal was engulfed in a high-profile investigation, Horner's dismissal was said to be purely performance-related. In February last year, the 51-year-old was accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour by a female employee. He was twice cleared, initially after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, and then by another lawyer who dismissed the female employee's appeal. Around the time, Jos - influential father of Red Bull's reigning world champion Max Verstappen - called for Horner's exit. MailOnline reported that Jos was spending time with the woman at the heart of the sexting scandal, and that the controversy 'caused even more difficulties' in his and Horner's already-fragile relationship. Jos Verstappen on Christian Horner's Red Bull exit 🗣️ — Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 27, 2025 The two warring F1 giants 'never really saw eye to eye in the first place'. But Jos has now downplayed any alleged tensions he had with Horner. Being interviewed on the grid ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Sky Sports reporter Martin Brundle asked Jos: 'Big changes in the team. Are you and Max and everybody happy with where it's going so far?' Jos issued a diplomatic response. 'Well, they decided to change so I'm fine with everything, so as long as it works,' he said. Rosberg then reminded Jos of his public call last year for Horner to step down. The former Mercedes driver said: 'Last year, you said: "Horner needs to go because he's going to destroy the team".' Jos tried to brush it off, replying: 'That was a year ago. It's different. I have nothing to say. It's fine.' But Rosberg pressed again, 'Now you're quiet? You're quiet now?' to which Jos responded: 'I'm always quiet.' Throughout the scandal, Max's loyalty remained with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, the man who discovered and backed him as a teenager. Jos was spending time with the woman at the heart of the sexting scandal, and the controversy 'caused even more difficulties' in his and Horner's relationship When Marko threatened to quit during a power struggle between himself and Horner in early 2024, Max made his stance clear. From then onwards, Horner's position at the team was precarious. It is understood that Horner's expanding grip on power within the Red Bull structure, including control over marketing, technical, and engine departments, had caused friction at the top. Max, who has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, has been persistently linked with a shock switch to Mercedes. But the four-time champion insisted Horner's exit will have no bearing on his Formula One future. The Dutchman said: 'No, it doesn't really. Now, I think people can have a difference of opinion here and then... I don't think it will matter at all for my decision in the future. 'And yet, the only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can make it, really.'
Times
6 hours ago
- Times
Max Verstappen slams 80-minute rain delay – but George Russell backs FIA
George Russell said it 'isn't racing, it's just stupidity' to suggest the FIA was wrong to delay the Belgium Grand Prix due to rain. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is one of the most dangerous on the calendar, but Max Verstappen said the race was 'ruined' after an 80-minute rain delay without cars on track, and a further ten behind the safety car. McLaren secured a one-two in the grand prix which began on a wet track but was predominantly dry. Oscar Piastri overtook Lando Norris on the first racing lap — with the leader disadvantaged without a slipstream. The move effectively won Piastri the race. While the cars lined up on the grid, teams were erecting gazebos as a sudden shower hit the track. Drivers reported poor visibility on the formation lap behind the safety car, so the start was delayed. It is the spray from the cars which is the main issue, rather than the standing water or grip itself from the intermediate or wet tyres. 'As a racer, you always want to get going,' said Mercedes driver Russell, who finished fifth. 'You love driving in the rain. But the fact is, when you're doing over 200 miles an hour out of Eau Rouge, you literally cannot see anything, you may as well have a blindfold on. It isn't racing, it's just stupidity.' Anthoine Hubert, the F2 driver, died aged 22 in a crash at this circuit in 2019, while Dilano van 't Hoff died in a multi-car crash in the rain in a Freca race here in 2023. Frustration remains at the length of the delays when rain occurs in Formula 1 races, and the idea of wet tyres essentially being made redundant because of the spray. There is hope that next year's new regulations could mean slightly less spray is produced from the back of the cars. It was not an afternoon which produced great interest for the television fan, or those who had braved the weather in Belgium. Drivers spent an hour and 20 minutes twiddling their thumbs in the garage, as a heavier rain shower on the radar prevented the FIA starting the race in a brief dry period. Eventually it stopped by 4.20pm local time with the race resuming behind the safety car. 'Yeah [it could have started] miles earlier, I mean one hour earlier,' Verstappen said. 'It was a bit of a shame, they [the FIA] took a more cautious approach. Of course, we spoke about it after Silverstone to be a little more cautious because there was quite a lot of water there, but this for me it was the other extreme. It just ruined a nice classic wet race as well.' Verstappen and Red Bull had added downforce to his car ahead of qualifying, predicting wet weather conditions. He likely would have had more grip than his rivals if the race had got underway in the rain. Instead, the new normal for Red Bull without Christian Horner, their long-serving former team principal and CEO, was rather similar to the old one; Verstappen did not have the pace to challenge the McLarens and was stuck behind the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in third, with Verstappen eventually finishing fourth. The most notable difference was perhaps on the grid, with Verstappen's father Jos — who had been openly critical of Horner — relaxed and stood alongside new team principal Laurent Mekies. It was the first grand prix in 405 events (and Red Bull's entire race history) that Horner had not attended. On lap five, racing began in earnest with a rolling start after Norris, on pole, was one of those to report on the radio that one side of the grid was drier than the other, suggesting a standing start would not be fair. It did him little favour though — as having used much of his battery pack on the restart, he was easily passed by his team-mate Piastri on the Kemmel Straight. 'A bit lively up over the hill,' was the calm Australian's verdict. Piastri extended his championship lead to 16 points so won't mind the lack of activity, barely even given a fright by his team-mate, on the harder compound tyre, who again made mistakes running wide in his eagerness to close the gap. Norris was perhaps always going to struggle, with Piastri joking after qualifying that it might have been to his advantage that he could not beat the Briton on Saturday given the benefit of the slipstream. In the wet conditions it is impossible to drive through Eau Rouge flat out, but Norris admitted his team-mate had 'committed a bit more', holding his nerve to take the lead. That forced Norris to opt for an alternative strategy, selecting the hard compound in the hope he would be able to reach the chequered flag, while Piastri could struggle on the medium. Instead, the championship leader calmly managed his tyres, while Norris again made mistakes as he pushed to the limit to close the gap. The battle promised much but fizzled out in the closing laps as it became clear Piastri had too much of an advantage. 'I got a good exit out of turn 1 and then lifted as little as I dared through Eau Rouge and it worked out pretty well. We had it mostly under control after that,' Piastri said. It was a role reversal on his fortunes in the sprint race earlier in the weekend, where he was the pole sitter and was passed by Verstappen on the Kemmel Straight. Lewis Hamilton produced an excellent recovery drive to finish seventh, having started in 18th. He perfectly timed the crucial decision to switch from intermediate tyres to slicks on lap 11 but still apologised to his team on the radio for mistakes earlier in the weekend. Hamilton had very little to lose after what he described as a 'weekend to forget', having spun his car in sprint qualifying, finishing 15th in that short-format race, and then been eliminated from the first session of main qualifying after exceeding track limits at Raidillon. He called it an 'unacceptable' individual error.
