Formula 1 live ticker: Piastri leads Spa race after rain chaos

The start of the Formula 1 race at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, was canceled due to bad weather. A heavy rain shower a good half hour before the scheduled start at 3:00 p.m. prevented the race from starting normally. An initial attempt behind the safety car on the wet track failed, primarily due to poor visibility, according to the FIA, the world motorsport governing body. Initially, it was unclear when a restart would take place.

Before the first lap of the 13th World Championship race of the year had even begun, the drivers had to return to the pit lane and get out of their cars due to the interruption. "This is a bit silly. I mean, you should just do a few laps, for goodness' sake," complained Red Bull World Champion Max Verstappen on the pit radio: "They're being way too cautious. Now the heavy rain is coming, and then there'll be a three-hour delay."

A similar situation had already occurred at the historic race track in the Ardennes in 2021. Four years ago, only two laps were completed behind the safety car, but back then, Verstappen was declared the winner in even worse conditions with a lot of water on the track.

There was subsequent criticism because, despite this farce, the fans didn't get their ticket money back. The drivers only received half the usual World Championship points in the shortest race in Formula 1 history.

World Championship runner-up Lando Norris starts the Belgian Grand Prix from pole position as the favorite. The British McLaren driver will share the front row with his Formula 1 teammate Oscar Piastri. However, difficult conditions with heavy rain are expected at the Ardennes track on Sunday (3:00 p.m./Sky).

This could certainly cause a lot of chaos. World champion Max Verstappen only managed fourth place on the grid in qualifying in the Red Bull, while German Nico Hülkenberg will start from 14th in the Sauber.