The paddock at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was divided during the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, with some teams and drivers — those who opted for a wet-weather setup — hoping for a 3:00 PM start as scheduled, while others with a dry configuration preferred a delayed restart. The race direction eventually chose to delay the start significantly, sparking debate over whether the wait was excessive, especially considering that only seven racing laps were ultimately run on intermediate tyres. Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen summed up the frustration by saying, “It seems like no one wants to race in the rain anymore.”
It felt like a scripted twist. After relentless rainfall through the morning hours, the skies above Spa began to clear shortly after 1:00 PM. One hour before the planned start, it appeared that the Grand Prix might be held under mostly dry conditions. But just as the Formula 1 cars reached the grid after the pre-formation laps, dark clouds returned, and soon a heavy downpour hit the circuit once again. Despite the worsening weather, race officials initially went ahead with the 3:00 PM start, sending the cars out behind the safety car. However, after just one lap, the red flag was shown and the race was suspended.
The majority of drivers had already expressed their concerns over the radio, complaining of near-zero visibility. Helmet-cam footage confirmed the issue — the track was engulfed in a thick mist of spray, making conditions nearly impossible for those starting in the second half of the grid. In this collective problem, the differing strategies became apparent. Teams that had committed to a full wet setup before qualifying — like Red Bull Racing — pushed for a prompt start, with Max Verstappen leading the charge for those ready to take on the elements.
While the decision to suspend the start was widely considered the correct one, it was the subsequent long delay — lasting an hour and twenty minutes — that drew heavy criticism. The race eventually restarted behind the safety car, which remained on track for four full laps before releasing the field.
Race control appeared to rely more heavily on radar data predicting further rainfall than on real-time track conditions. In the end, once the cars were finally racing on intermediate tyres, only seven laps were completed before drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg, and Fernando Alonso switched to slick tyres. This demonstrated that the race could likely have resumed at least 30 minutes earlier.
At the end of the Grand Prix, reactions across the Formula 1 paddock were mixed. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko stated, “The race could have started at 3:00 PM. After three or four laps behind the safety car, a dry line would have formed and spray would no longer have been a major issue. Race control was too cautious.”
Max Verstappen echoed that sentiment, adding: “We need to decide whether we still race in the rain or not. We could have started an hour earlier. The decision made today essentially took away the chance to have a proper wet race. There needs to be clarity, because today it felt like we were forced to wait until the track was dry.”
In contrast, team principals from the two teams that reached the podium defended the FIA’s cautious approach. Andrea Stella, Team Principal of McLaren, explained: “Race control handled the situation with wisdom. At a track like Spa, it is always better to proceed with caution. The lack of visibility, especially in high-speed sections like Eau Rouge and Raidillon, makes the track extremely dangerous.”
Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur shared this view, highlighting how onboard helmet camera footage clearly showed just how poor the visibility conditions really were. He stressed that this footage helped justify the decision to delay the start.
However, there is an important distinction to be made between the justified decision to delay the initial 3:00 PM start and the excessively long wait before restarting the race. For drivers sitting in the garages, watching the track dry up and the opportunity to compete in wet conditions fade away, frustration was understandable.
The FIA operated under a “zero-risk” policy, choosing to send the cars back out only when the skies above Spa-Francorchamps had fully cleared and the sun began to shine. While it would have been dangerous to start the race at the original scheduled time, many felt that waiting so long undermined the challenge and spectacle of racing in the wet. Ultimately, the use of intermediate tyres was limited to just seven laps of real racing.
In making his point, Max Verstappen posed a question that still hangs in the air: under the FIA’s current guidelines, is it still possible to hold a proper wet-weather Grand Prix? Technically, the answer is yes — but the window of acceptable conditions has become extremely narrow. It starts only when visibility is deemed acceptable and ends as soon as slick tyres become viable. At the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, that window lasted just seven laps.
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