After the Chaos Grand Prix: These are the lessons

Formula 1 fans stood in the pouring rain for hours in Belgium on Sunday. They don't get to see a real race, Nevertheless, Max Verstappen was at the top of the podium , and the Dutch national anthem was played. Hardly anyone was happy about how the day went, and there are signs of a discussion about the regulations. WORLD CUP POINTS WITHOUT A REAL RACE BECOME A NUISANCE There were only half World Cup points, but even that was too much for some. After all, there had never been a real Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday. After a few alibi laps behind the safety car to comply with the rules, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) was crowned the winner ahead of George Russell (Williams) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). The decisive factor was the order from Saturday after qualification. “There was no time when we could drive, there was no racing. I don’t understand the politics behind it,” said Lewis Hamilton, who at least retained his championship lead. DRIVER SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY In all discussions about the sense and nonsense of a race in Belgium, one thing must always be the focus. “The highest goal should be our safety,” said four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. And this would not have been guaranteed if the Grand Prix had been released as normal. “It was probably the right decision,” said Vettel about the cancellation. The 34-year-old finished fifth and took at least a few points with him to the next race next Sunday in Zandvoort, the Netherlands, which he is already looking forward to: “The weather forecast is definitely better there.” VERSTAPPEN WISHES EARLER RACE TIMES Verstappen could also be a little happy; he would have preferred to have defeated the competition on the track in front of thousands of compatriots in the stands. “No racing driver wants to win like that. But if you can’t see the car in front of you, you can’t race,” said the 23-year-old. According to the World Cup runner-up, a solution could possibly have been a different start time. “Maybe on days like this it’s better to start the race earlier. I would generally prefer 12 or 13 p.m. anyway,” said Verstappen. Due to the regular start of the race at 15 p.m., there was little scope to react to the weather, as it ended when darkness fell. Rising star RUSSELL LIKES MORE In the end, George Russell almost didn't care how he got his first podium finish in Formula 1. After second place, the Brit is definitely hungry for more. “Now I’m on the podium, I didn’t expect that this year,” said the Williams driver. Sensationally, he placed his otherwise clearly inferior car in second place on the grid in qualifying on Saturday. “We were rewarded for a great qualifying,” he said. He can get used to the position at the front: Russell could replace the weak Finn Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes from 2022.

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After the Chaos Grand Prix: These are the lessons

The Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday became a farce: the Grand Prix went down in history as the shortest Formula 1 race ever.

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