Belgian Grand Prix

This was not a race

Two laps behind a safety car. That's it. That's the entire race. The fans sat in the rain for hours watching nothing happen, then half points were awarded based on qualifying order so that F1 could tick a box and fulfil its broadcast contract. Verstappen was declared the winner without ever actually racing anyone. Russell got a podium for finishing second in qualifying. This was an insult to everyone who bought a ticket, booked a hotel, and traveled to Spa expecting to see a Grand Prix.

Half points for zero racing

By any objective measure, this was not a race. The field completed two laps behind the safety car at reduced speed in conditions where racing was impossible. The classification was taken from lap 1 – effectively from qualifying. Half points were distributed. The result was entirely predetermined the moment they decided to send the cars out. Verstappen "won" by being on pole. The only positive outcome was that F1 eventually changed the rules so this couldn't happen again.

Not a race

Two laps behind a safety car. Half points awarded. Full ticket prices charged. An absolute disgrace.

An absolute joke

I love Spa. It's my favorite circuit. So watching it host the worst event in F1 history was brutal. The rain was too heavy to race in – fine, safety matters. But instead of just cancelling and giving fans refunds, F1 did two laps behind the safety car so they could technically classify it as a race and hand out half points. The fans in the grandstands were soaked, cold, and furious. Verstappen himself said they should have just called it off. When even the winner thinks it shouldn't have happened, you know it was wrong.

The day F1 chose money over fans

Let's be honest about what happened here. The conditions were too dangerous to race. Nobody disputes that. But instead of doing the right thing and cancelling, F1 ran two formation laps behind the safety car to legally classify it as a race. This meant broadcasters had their event, half points were awarded, and F1 avoided having to deal with refund obligations. The fans who traveled to Spa and sat in the rain for hours got nothing. Initially they weren't even offered refunds. Hamilton called it out correctly – this was about commercial obligations, not sport.

As someone who loves rain races, this hurt

I live for wet weather racing. Donington 93, Spa 98, Montreal 2011 – rain creates the greatest F1 moments. But Spa 2021 wasn't a rain race. It wasn't a race at all. Two laps behind the safety car with zero visibility and no green flag running. The conditions were genuinely too dangerous – Norris had a scary crash in qualifying – but the answer should have been cancellation, not a cynical two-lap parade to classify a result. This was the worst thing I've ever seen in F1, and it happened at one of the best circuits in the world.