Belgian Grand Prix Called Off Due to Severe Rain as Verstappen & Hamilton Leave With Half the Points

The second half of the 2021 F1 season is off to a dull start, as Max Verstappen managed to claim his 6th seasonal victory at the absolutely treacherous Belgian Grand Prix.

The rain finally showed up at Spa, but it was just too much for the cars to handle, as the race ended in termination after completing just over 4 laps behind the safety car. Hence, with the cars failing to complete over 75% of the race, half-points are all they get.

How the F1 session unfolded

Pre-race chaos

Sergio Perez had an early heartbreak while driving to the grid. The Mexican, despite strolling on the track, lost the rear around the Les Combes and ended up crashing into the barriers.

Unfortunately, the Red Bull suffered suspension damage to the front-rear, forcing Perez to end his race before it even started. However, that hardly lasted, as the delay helped Red Bull bring his car back to shape.

Delayed start at Spa

Minutes away from the start, the stewards affirmed that the race would be starting under the safety car citing poor visibility and immense sprays. The lights went out 30 minutes after the scheduled start, with the Red Mercedes AMG leading the pack.

The wait continued until 120 minutes into the session when the stewards decided to stop the clock under the Force Majeure rule. Subsequently, the Mercedes medical car was the only car to keep the fans on toes, as Alan van der Merwe constantly took his car for laps around the track in a bid to assess the conditions.

Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo and George Russell often walked to the pit wall and waved to the fans, who were quieting down amidst almost no on-track action.

F1 race officially begins

The formation lap started as drivers including Perez returned to the track despite the early troubles. Lance Stroll started from the pit lane along with the Mexican and Raikkonen, as Aston Martin had to change the rear-wing specifications on the car.

After 4 laps on the board, the stewards pulled out the red flags again. Several drivers complained of nil visibility. But that was the least of their problems. With the air temperatures dropping quite drastically, brakes and power units were getting cold as well, which could lead to serious technical issues.

Updated F1 Drivers’ Standings

1. Lewis Hamilton – 202.5
2. Max Verstappen – 199.5
3. Lando Norris – 113
4. Valtteri Bottas – 108
5. Sergio Perez – 104
6. Charles Leclerc – 82
7. Carlos Sainz – 80.5
8. Daniel Ricciardo – 56
9. Sebastian Vettel – 53
10. Pierre Gasly – 48
11. Esteban Ocon – 42
12. Fernando Alonso – 36
13. Lance Stroll – 18
14. Yuki Tsunoda – 16
15. George Russell – 13
16. Nicholas Latifi – 7
17. Kimi Raikkonen – 1
18. Antonio Giovinazzi – 1
19. Mick Schumacher – 0
20. Nikita Mazepin – 0

Updated F1 Constructors’ Standings

1. Mercedes AMG (Mercedes) – 310.5
2. Red Bull Racing (Honda) – 303.5
3. McLaren (Mercedes) – 169
4. Scuderia Ferrari (Ferrari) – 162.5
5. Alpine (Renault) – 78
6. Aston Martin Racing (Mercedes) – 71
7. Scuderia AlphaTauri (Honda) – 64
8. Williams (Mercedes) – 16
9. Alfa Romeo Racing (Ferrari) – 2
10. Haas (Ferrari) – 0

Overall, what an end to the weekend at Spa this turned out to be! After teasing around during FP1 and FP2, rains did make a stunning entry when it was needed the most, but it came down a bit too heavy, leaving the stewards with no choice but to end the session altogether.

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