Too Cautious? Verstappen and Hamilton Discuss F1's Conservative Approach at Spa

In what ultimately looked like a missed chance to have an entertaining, wet race, F1's 2025 Belgian Grand Prix simply turned into a straightforward affair, with the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris fighting for the win. No surprises allowed.

It seems like Formula 1 is just scared to go racing in the rain, with the race start delayed for an hour and 20 minutes as race control seemingly waited for the sun to come out, while the rain did not look extreme. Those who set up their cars thinking about the rain should be frustrated with such a choice.

Among drivers, four-time World Champion Max Verstappen spoke to the media about his thoughts on the delayed start: "We barely did any wet laps in the end, which, in general, I think is a shame. I think we could have started way sooner; that’s not ideal."

Verstappen, who finished fourth, also said that the race should've started "straight away" because "It was not even raining."

"It's a bit of a shame. Of course. I knew that they would be a bit more cautious after Silverstone, but this also didn't make sense. ... They do what they want, right? I mean, they decide. But I just find it is a bit of a shame for everyone. You will never see this classic kind of wet races anymore.

"Then, it's better to say, ‘You know what? Let's wait until it's completely dry, and then we just start on slicks.’ Because this is not really wet-weather racing for me."

On his side, seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton criticised the rolling start after five laps under the Safety Car once the race started: "We didn't need a rolling start."

Hamilton started from P18 and finished seventh in a nice comeback that was fun when the track was still wet.

Still, most drivers on top teams unsurprisingly agreed with race control's decision, including race-winner Oscar Piastri, who had the most to lose given his place as the current championship leader.

"I think 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. I think that's what we did today," Piastri said in the post-race FIA press conference.

"If you were to be picky, maybe we could have done one less formation lap. But in the grand scheme of things, if that's one lap too early, is it worth it? No. Also, us three (Piastri, P2 finisher Norris and P3 Charles Leclerc) are the worst people to ask because we have the least amount of cars in front of us.

"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. 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."

Hamilton's Ferrari teammate, Leclerc, agreed.

"On a track like this, with what happened historically, I think you cannot forget about it," Leclerc said.

"For that reason, I'd rather be safe than too early. It's a constant discussion, and we'll probably feed the people that made this decision back that maybe it was a little bit on the late side, but I wouldn't have changed anything.

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