SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS — Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton criticised race officials for an 80-minute delay to the Belgian Grand Prix start due to wet conditions, calling the decision overly cautious. Despite heavy rain earlier, both felt the track was safe enough to race with just a few laps behind the safety car.

Verstappen said Race Control should’ve used formation laps to clear the water instead of halting the race entirely, while Hamilton accused organisers of overreacting to past incidents, particularly the Silverstone crash involving junior drivers.

The race eventually began with a rolling start after four laps behind the safety car. McLaren secured a dominant 1-2 finish, with Oscar Piastri leading Lando Norris. Verstappen missed the podium for a third straight race, and Hamilton recovered from 18th to finish seventh.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, however, backed the delay, calling it a “safe call” due to Spa’s dangerous history in wet conditions — a track that has seen 53 fatalities to date.