Three things we learned from Belgian F1 Grand Prix
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While old school racers including multiple champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen favoured a prompt start on a tricky circuit, younger drivers and team chiefs preferred to back race director Rui Marques's caution and wait for dry weather.
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Piastri secured his sixth win of the season, with great aplomb that makes him favourite to beat McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to the drivers' title.
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The Australian's consistency and mental strength helped him into a 16-point lead after 13 of this year's 24 races, but his drive was overshadowed by post-race arguments about racing in the rain.
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Ferrari's Hamilton and Red Bull's Verstappen slammed the long delay and choice of rolling start, but others including Mercedes' George Russell and Williams' Carlos Sainz backed the 'safety first' decision at a track with a dark history of fatal accidents.
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'We could've gone miles earlier, an hour earlier,' said Verstappen.
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'It was a shame. It just ruins a nice classic wet race. Either we push to go for a wet race — or we just stop racing in the wet… and wait for it to be dry. But that's not what you want, right?'
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Verstappen's car was set up for extreme wet conditions, as forecast, but the decision meant he and others were disadvantaged. He finished fourth.
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Triumphant McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, celebrating a sixth 1-2 this year, praised the move.
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'I think the race was managed in a very wise way by the FIA,' he said.
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'We knew there was a lot of rain coming and I think at a circuit like this if you make the calls late, it may be too late — and the outcome could be difficult.'
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He emphasised the unique risks of the high-speed track through the forested valleys of the Ardennes.
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'I understand it would be entertaining, but the average speed is so high at Spa that in wet conditions it's impossible to see.'
New Red Bull chief Laurent Mekies, in his first outing after replacing Christian Horner, said: 'I think we were all surprised by how late we started.'
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Three things we learned from Belgian F1 Grand Prix
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Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account While old school racers including multiple champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen favoured a prompt start on a tricky circuit, younger drivers and team chiefs preferred to back race director Rui Marques's caution and wait for dry weather. 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Ferrari's Hamilton and Red Bull's Verstappen slammed the long delay and choice of rolling start, but others including Mercedes' George Russell and Williams' Carlos Sainz backed the 'safety first' decision at a track with a dark history of fatal accidents. 'We could've gone miles earlier, an hour earlier,' said Verstappen. 'It was a shame. It just ruins a nice classic wet race. Either we push to go for a wet race — or we just stop racing in the wet… and wait for it to be dry. But that's not what you want, right?' Verstappen's car was set up for extreme wet conditions, as forecast, but the decision meant he and others were disadvantaged. He finished fourth. Triumphant McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, celebrating a sixth 1-2 this year, praised the move. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I think the race was managed in a very wise way by the FIA,' he said. 'We knew there was a lot of rain coming and I think at a circuit like this if you make the calls late, it may be too late — and the outcome could be difficult.' He emphasised the unique risks of the high-speed track through the forested valleys of the Ardennes. 'I understand it would be entertaining, but the average speed is so high at Spa that in wet conditions it's impossible to see.' New Red Bull chief Laurent Mekies, in his first outing after replacing Christian Horner, said: 'I think we were all surprised by how late we started.' The former FIA deputy race and safety director added: 'Fundamentally, we waited not only for the rain to stop, but also pretty much for the sun to come out — and then we still had many laps behind the safety car. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I'm sure the FIA had its reasons, but in our case, having based the car towards wet running, it cost us performance, but, it's all part of the game.' 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Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton believes having brought in a former Mercedes engineer will improve his fortunesDimitar DILKOFF/AFP Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP Hamilton's roller-coaster ride since joining Ferrari continued as he went from 18th, and a pit lane start, to finish seventh. On Saturday, he apologised to Ferrari for his 'unacceptable' qualifying while critics noted that, at 40, he was struggling to cope –- two days after revealing he had bombarded senior Ferrari staff with memos for team improvements. After seeing him storm through the field, team chief Fred Vasseur joked Hamilton was now 'engineering the car himself', before the Briton revealed he had invited a former Mercedes engineer to join his team. 'We'll get stronger together now,' he promised. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Care for a wager? Head to our sports betting section for news and odds. Canada Editorial Cartoons Sunshine Girls Relationships Editorials
