Lewis Hamilton has hit out at the decision of race organisers to delay Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix because of rain.
Just minutes before the scheduled start of the race, the heavens opened over the iconic street circuit, initially forcing drivers to head back to the pits and put on wet-weather tyres. But then organisers deemed it unsafe to start, before a power outage meant further delays.
Eventually, the race began over an hour late, with a safety car leading a rolling two-lap start. The delays were then exacerbated further when the Grand Prix was red flagged after 30 laps, after Haas driver Mick Schumacher careered into the Swimming Pool Chicane.
It meant that eventual winner Sergio Perez, who held off Carlos Sainz to take the chequered flag in a tense finale, was declared race winner without all laps being completed. Each F1 race has a three-hour time limit in which to finish.
The frustration of drivers over the delayed start was evident, and afterwards, the FIA moved quickly to clarify their actions: "Race control was monitoring a severe downpour that was rapidly approaching the circuit, and as it arrived during the start procedure, the safety car start and its associated procedures were implemented.
"This was done for safety reasons in consideration that there has been no wet running this weekend." Afterwards it was put to Hamilton, whose has notched some famous victories in wet weather, that organisers had not acted accordingly.
"You think they didn't do a good job?" he was quoted in the Daily Mail. "I was not saying it was a mistake - I don't know the reason for them not sending us out at the get-go - but we are Formula One drivers so (the weather) is not a good enough reason.
"That is what I was saying. I was like 'let's go' when it was just drizzling a little bit at the beginning. We will talk about it in the drivers' briefing but we should have started the race."
The saga compounded another difficult day for Hamilton, who was unable to improve on his starting position of eighth. Following the second rolling start, he found himself stuck behind old rival Fernando Alonso for a prolonged period, as the field bunched up behind him.
Prior to Sunday, he had again been plagued by the issue of porpoising in both practice and qualifying. And the 37-year-old admitted he's concerned about more of the same in Baku in two weeks.
"I am praying that the car doesn't feel like it does here at the next race in Azerbaijan because it was the worse that it felt so far with the bumps, and I am looking forward to that going. My teeth and jaw was moving the whole time and I am done with the shaking."
Hamilton currently lies sixth in the standings on 50 points, a full 75 behind leader Max Verstappen. The Red Bull man was third in Monaco, ahead of Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc.
