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via Imago

via Imago

Despite consistent and considerable efforts ongoing for years, Formula 1 is not 100% safe and it can never be. No one can guarantee the safety of drivers racing at speeds at which F1 and even feeder series drivers do. We saw this scenario come to life as Dilano van ‘t Hoff lost his life racing at Spa-Francorchamps in 2023. Now, as the premier class is gearing up to race on the same track, the topic of safety is discussed again. A usually reserved Max Verstappen has revealed a scenario where he could’ve taken someone’s life. In doing so, Verstappen also lashed out at the F1 veterans.

Pirelli is the sole tire manufactures and has been for a long time now. They recently tested new tires and introduced them at Silverstone. Pirelli is constantly upgrading the tires and introducing new technology to give the drivers the confidence they need on the track, especially under wet conditions. However, despite putting their $5.3 billion into the F1 efforts, Pirelli does not have an answer, and this is exactly what Verstappen pointed out, as quoted by De Telegraaf.

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“The larger tires and the current large cars only provide more spray. It’s even worse than what it was like in 2016, for example, and it wasn’t good then. I remember back then in Brazil after a pit stop and I didn’t even see Fernando Alonso spin in front of me. That’s how bad the visibility was. On the straight, I drove flat out, but if someone had stopped there, I would have hit it fully,” said the Dutchman. (Translated by Google)

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Verstappen admission of limited visibility during wet conditions is extremely worrying. However, despite his anger toward the tire manufacturers, it’s a misguided missile and Verstappen knows it as well.

Despite his anger, Max Verstappen is aware there is nothing much that can be done

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The Belgian GP is expected to experience a lot of rain over the entire weekend. This being the Sprint weekend, it will definitely add to the excitement. However, despite the concerns about safety in terms of water spray compromising visibility, there is nothing much that can be done.

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“Unfortunately, accidents are unavoidable in this sport,” said Verstappen. “If you crash, you bounce back onto the track and there is little visibility, then that is indeed dangerous. And if you are in fifteenth place, for example, you have much less visibility than if you were driving at the front. The situation is not good, but it has been for a long time. I don’t think there’s much we can change.”

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WATCH THIS STORY: How F1 Escaped a Huge Safety Disaster at the 2023 Azerbaijan GP in Baku

Everyone is working actively toward tackling this issue. However, the effectiveness of the possible solutions is still unknown. Sooner or later, there will be a solution.