Max Verstappen won a heavily rain-shortened Belgian Grand Prix that finished late into the
evening amid torrential conditions at Spa-Francorchamps. Half points were awarded as
more than two laps – but less than 75% of the race – were completed.
The 1500 scheduled start time came 30 minutes after Sergio Perez crashed on the way to
his grid spot in the wet weather, with the rain showing no signs of relenting. After a 25
minute delay, a brace of formation laps behind the Safety Car followed, before Race
Director Michael Masi threw the red flag.
After many more delays, the race finally resumed at 1817 local time – more than three
hours after it was set to start – with the clock to tick down from one hour as Masi did
everything in his control to try to get a race up and running.
But only a handful laps behind the Safety Car followed before another red flag, and
Verstappen pulled back into the pits ahead of second-place Williams qualifier George
Russell and third-place Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
Most of the field would thus finish where they had qualified, with half points their
consolation on a gloomy day at Spa, as it was finally announced the race would not
resume, at 1845 local time.
With clouds hanging thick and heavy, visibility was at a premium on Sunday afternoon with
cars fading into and out of view on their laps to the grid as the rain pelted down at Spa-
Francorchamps.
Then calamity struck for Red Bull, Perez losing the car and burying his RB16B in the
barriers at Les Combes. He was out 30 minutes before the race was due to begin thanks
to heavy right-front suspension damage.
What followed was a 10-minute delay, and a further 15 minute delay with the Safety Car
finally leading the cars out at 1525 local time for a couple of formation laps.
But it would be a quick retreat for the field, most of the drivers – bar pole-sitter Verstappen
– deeming conditions far too hazardous for a race. The red flag and suspension of the
start procedure had drivers returning to the pit lane under the safety of the teams’
marquees.
During that break, the clock ticking perilously towards the regulation three-hour race
deadline, Red Bull pulled off a gargantuan effort to repair Perez’s car and they were told by
Race Director Michael Masi that he would be allowed to start the race from the pit lane
behind Kimi Raikkonen – whose rear wing assembly was changed in Parc Ferme.
Two hours after the race was scheduled to start, Race Director Michael Masi stopped the
race clock to try to allow more time for some action to take place. At 1817 local time, the
race finally resumed even with conditions still soaking wet.
Verstappen led the field behind the Safety Car, surprise second-place Williams qualifier
Russell following gingerly and third-place Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in third,
engulfed by spray from the cars ahead. With three laps on the board, the race was red-
flagged and the Race Director decided that it would not resume (below).
Daniel Ricciardo of McLaren, Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel and Pierre Gasly finished
fourth, fifth and sixth respectively while seventh-place qualifier Perez missed out on points
due to his crash at the start. Instead it was Esteban Ocon who finished seventh, adding to
his healthy Hungarian GP-winning haul.
Perez’s pain also was the gain of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in P8, Nicholas Latifi in P9 for
Williams and Leclerc’s team mate Carlos Sainz who was promoted to P10 – all of them
being awarded half points since the race was well short of the 75% distance needed for full
points.
Lando Norris may have been frontrunner for pole position after topping Q1 and Q2 on
Saturday, but his Q3 crash led to a five-place grid penalty on Sunday morning. He was
therefore classified 14th. Haas’s Nikita Mazepin set the fastest lap of the race behind the
Safety Car but does not take a point as he finished out of the top 10, in 17th.
On a gloomy day at Spa-Francorchamps, Verstappen therefore took half-points for a
victory in the strangest circumstances ahead of Russell – who took a maiden podium –
and championship rival Hamilton of Mercedes in P3.
