Charles Leclerc defended race control’s decision to postpone the start of the Belgian Grand Prix due to rain, which some other drivers criticised.
The original start was abandoned as a large band of rain passed over the circuit and the majority of drivers reported visibility was too poor during the formation lap. Max Verstappen was the most vocal critic of race control’s handling of the race, telling Viaplay it “should have started straight away.”
However Leclerc pointed out the history of past incidents at Spa-Francorchamps showed race control was right to err on the side of caution.
“It’s always fine-tuning,” he said. “On a track like this with what happened historically, I think you cannot forget about it.”
Two years ago 18-year-old racer Dilano Van ‘T Hoff was killed in a crash at Kemmel following a restart in very wet conditions during a Formula Regional European championship race. Four years before that Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert was killed in a similar crash in dry conditions when his car bounced into the path of others and was struck.
Race winner Oscar Piastri also backed race control’s handling of the event, saying it was consistent with what drivers had asked them to do before.
“In the past few years, particularly here, we’ve given the FIA feedback that we would much rather be on the safe side than risk anything,” he said. “I think that’s what we did today.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
“If you were to be picky, maybe we could have done one fewer [Safety Car] lap. But in the grand scheme of things, if that’s one lap too early, is it worth it? No.”
Piastri started the race second, three places ahead of Verstappen. The McLaren driver said those near the rear of the field were best-placed to judge whether visibility was sufficient.
“For someone at the back, the first time we tried to start the race, even for myself with just Lando ahead, I couldn’t see a thing,” he said. “You can only imagine what it’s like for the guys at the back.
“That’s always a tough thing to balance because the guys at the front have an easier time than the guys at the back.”
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a daily email with all our latest stories – and nothing else. No marketing, no ads. Sign up here:
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
