Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were in opposition to one another before Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix was even allowed to get underway due to safety concerns over the rain
Max Verstappen didn’t agree with rival Lando Norris when it came to how to deal with the wet track at Spa(Image: YVES HERMAN, POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Red Bull star Max Verstappen and McLaren counterpart Lando Norris were in conflict at the Belgian Grand Prix before the race could even get underway. That’s after the driver duo found themselves in opposition to one another in regards to dealing with the wet weather conditions.
The Belgian GP was delayed immediately after the formation lap due to safety concerns at the Circuit Spa-Francorchamps. Heavy rainfall in the Ardennes Forest left a lot of standing water on the track and meant the race’s start had to be pushed back.
Numerous drivers on the grid complained about the poor visibility. However, Verstappen took a different tack to Formula 1 nemesis Norris, who was sent into a frenzy at last year’s race, when it came to theories on how it should be dealt with.
Speaking over the Red Bull radio, the four-time world champion said: “Well that’s a bit silly, I mean, you should just run a few laps, Jesus. They’re way too cautious, now the heavy rain is coming, and then it’s going to be a three-hour delay.”
All vehicles completed the formation lap at 2pm UK time, which was when the race was scheduled to commence. However, drivers were soon reporting back to their teams that visibility was extremely poor, with a considerable amount of spray being kicked up.
Verstappen, 27, disagreed with the decision to stall the race and instead suggested staying on track to clear the water issue. Organisers decided it was best to pull the drivers back, however, as the wet conditions refused to let up in Belgium.
The FIA swiftly red-flagged the Grand Prix, directing all cars to return to the pit lane. It citing visibility issues as the reason as a statement read: “Most drivers have reported poor visibility during the formation lap, hence the red flag.”
Drivers complained of poor visibility at Spa after heavy rainfall(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Norris, who had secured pole position at Spa, was among those voicing serious concerns about visibility over his team radio. While trailing the safety car, he informed his McLaren race engineer that his own visibility was minimal, speculating it would be even worse for those behind him.
While many drivers concurred with the decision, Verstappen was evidently not pleased with the call to postpone the race start. Lining up fourth on the grid, the Dutch ace made his preference to race clear despite the conditions.
As Verstappen highlighted, heavier downpours were approaching according to the weather radar. This is a frequent problem for the Belgian Grand Prix, with that particular region often experiencing unpredictable weather conditions.
Norris was among those who argued that a delay was the sensible move(Image: Peter Fox, LAT Imagesvia Getty Images)
The 2021 edition of the race notoriously ran for three hours despite completing just two laps, both conducted behind the safety car due to dangerous conditions. Since no overtaking was feasible, all drivers concluded in their qualifying positions, though only half points were awarded.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly acknowledged the frequent issues experienced in this particular race as he commented during the delay: “I just hope we can go soon, for the fans. Here [at Spa] we’ve had a few situations where they’ve waited a long time in recent years.
“I’m pretty sure it’s going to start in the next 15, 20 minutes. Once this rain is gone it should be a good race, it should be exciting. It’s tricky conditions … I’ll fight as hard as I can. We are three positions away from the top 10 and I really hope we can make it.”
