Three talking points from a Belgian GP washout

The 2021 Belgian GP – or non-Belgian GP as it should become known – ended up consisting of just two laps run behind the safety car, enough to classify it as a race that counted for half-points. But patently this was not a race. As Lewis Hamilton said, it was a “farce”. Formula 1 could do nothing about the dreadful weather that left Spa a washout, of course. But it could have made a more honest decision over what to do in the trying circumstances and just struck a line through the day. Instead, Max Verstappen ‘scored’ his 16^th F1 win without completing a single lap in anger, with George Russell second for Williams after a truly remarkable qualifying performance on Saturday. The Brit’s one-lap wonder was about the only bright spot of a murky weekend for F1 in Belgium: the first grand prix in history to be completed without a single lap of actual motor racing.

Hamilton calls out F1 for race decision

“They knew when they sent us out at the end that the track wasn’t any better and they did it just so that we could start two laps behind the safety car, which is the minimum requirement for a race,” Hamilton told Sky F1 on Sunday. “I really hope the fans get their money back today. I think the sport made a bad choice doing those two laps.”

The seven-time world champion doesn’t tend to hold back and once again had the gumption to say what everyone else was thinking over what played out at Spa. No one could argue that racing was impossible in such dreadful conditions. But sending the cars out to complete a ‘ghost race’ minimum requirement? It’s easy to translate that as a cynical move on behalf of F1, and a means to avoid unpalatable ticket refunds by a sport that is still reeling from the ongoing affects the pandemic is having on its season.

The race was initially delayed by half an hour from its 14:00 (BST) start time, before the field was sent out to complete two laps behind the safety car. All drivers bar Verstappen – the man with most to gain from the race running – made it clear conditions were impossible and the red flag was duly unfurled. Eventually, at 17:17 (BST) the cars were despatched to complete another two laps behind the safety car, thereby sealing the deal that the Belgian GP had apparently happened.

Russell’s odd podium, great news for Williams

Only a late effort from Verstappen stopped George Russell from claiming a sensational pole position in the similarly rain-affected and lethal conditions qualifying ran in on Saturday. No one really expected the Williams to remain that high in the order come Sunday. But in the oddest of circumstances that qualifying effort ended up delivering for Russell in a way he could never have imagined. He heads to Zandvoort for the first Dutch GP since 1985 clutching a trophy for finishing second at Spa.

The awarding of half-points means Verstappen has cut his deficit to Hamilton at the top of the drivers’ standings from eight to three. But of far greater significance is the gain made by Williams thanks to Russell’s still significant haul. Following the breakthrough double score in Hungary, where Nicholas Latifi headed Russell for a seven-eight result for the team, Williams is now well clear of Alfa Romeo in the battle for eighth in the constructors’ standings – 20 points plays three. Unless Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi can pull off a similar shock result in unexpected circumstances sometime between now and the Abu Dhabi season finale in December, Williams looks certain to achieve its best season result since 2017. That’s significant not only for lifting this once-great team out of the doldrums, but also for the significant prize money gains it will bring with it. The Belgian GP was a nightmare for F1 as a whole, but it turned out to be just what Williams needed.

Norris escapes a big one at Eau Rouge

The other talking point of an unsettling F1 weekend was the uncomfortable spotlight that fell on Eau Rouge and Raidillon, perhaps the most celebrated piece of race track in the world. Lando Norris was the latest to escape a heavy accident at the swooping uphill sequence on Saturday, just after Sebastian Vettel had warned that conditions were lethal. The four-time world champion had been on the radio to FIA race director Michael Masi to warn of the safety threat and reacted with understandable anger when Norris’s McLaren hit the barrier. Vettel slowed his Aston Martin to check Norris was OK – not the first time this year the German has shown his class as a decent human being.

Norris was shaken by the impact, but happily escaped serious injury and was ready to take his place on the grid for Sunday. His accident followed a day after six drivers in the F1 supporting W Series experienced a terrifying pile-up at the same section of track as sudden rain caught them out. The dull whump of cars slamming into each other, then the sight of Beitske Visser extracting herself from her inverted Tatuus, limping to the side of the track and then collapsing in pain from a leg injury that fortunately turned out not to serious made for deeply uncomfortable viewing. Big sighs of relief all round.

We all love Eau Rouge and no one wants to dilute one of the world’s great pieces of race track, least of all the drivers who take it on. But many of them are demanding an improvement on safety and have been for some time, especially since the death of Anthoine Hubert in a Formula 2 crash in 2019. It would be scandalous to ignore them before another tragedy plays out.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.