Overview
- The start of the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix was postponed by over an hour because race control judged visibility too poor for safe competition.
- Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton described the lengthy wait as excessive and said it undermined their wet-weather strategies.
- Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur and McLaren’s Andrea Stella argued the cautious decision averted potential backlash if a wet-weather accident had occurred.
- Earlier FIA tests of wheel rain guards and diffuser covers by McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari in 2023–2024 failed to curb spray from ground-effect cars.
- Formula 1’s 2026 regulations aim to cut downforce and reduce spray but are not expected to fully resolve visibility challenges in the wet.