Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies said he was “surprised” by the FIA’s decision to delay the start of Formula 1‘s Belgian Grand Prix due to rain that fell before the scheduled time.
The race at Spa-Francorchamps was delayed by over an hour due to a deluge, but it appeared that conditions did not merit such a lengthy halt to proceedings.
The move irritated Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who believed the conditions were safe enough, and ruined their respective races, both having set their cars up for wet running.
When asked if he was surprised by the decision, Mekies, a former FIA Safety Director, said the sport’s governing body had “its own considerations”, but did convey his shock.
“So I think we are all surprised, I believe, by how late we have started the race,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “I’m sure the FIA had its own considerations.
“But certainly for us as a team, it surprised us. Because fundamentally, we waited not only for the rain to stop, but also for the sun to come out.
“And then we still had many laps behind the Safety Car. So again, I’m sure the FIA had its own reasons.”
Mekies concluded it was “up to the FIA” what they deemed was safe, but he rued the decision, acknowledging that it “cost us performance”.
How delayed start hampered Red Bull
Mekies explained why the lack of rain during the eventual duration of the race hindered the RB21, with Verstappen labouring to fourth place behind Charles Leclerc.
“Obviously, the fact that we got so little wet running didn’t help,” he said.
“It’s a good thing that we had made quite heavy choices, thinking about the wet race. In the end, the rain came, but we didn’t get many great racing.
“So, for sure, it has an influence on the race, it’s part of the game.”
When asked if Red Bull regretted not changing the set-up, Mekies said that the threat of more rain was strong enough to deter any deviation from what was planned.
“When the formation lap was then suspended, and we came back into the pit, and then more rain came, you still expect to have a permit of wet running at that point,” he added.
“So I don’t think we would have changed anything, even if Parc Fermé was open. Because we were expecting to go back on track much earlier than what we eventually did.”
READ MORE – How the delayed start to F1 Belgian GP assisted Charles Leclerc’s run to the podium
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