Heavy rain in the morning triggered flashbacks of 2021 for many in the Spa-Francorchamps paddock. Back then, unrelenting rain in the Ardennes resulted in a “race” of just two laps behind the safety car. Four years on, a repeat of that scenario was avoided - but the race was far from a thriller, despite promising ingredients like a legendary circuit, an interesting starting grid, and wet conditions. The late start removed much of the excitement, turning a potential modern wet-weather classic into a mostly dry race.
After the race, opinions in the paddock were divided. Carlos Sainz had “respect” for race control, adding that at a track like Spa, especially considering its recent history, “better safe than sorry” should be the rule. Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur added it’s easy to judge in hindsight, noting that teams would’ve been the first to slam race control if an earlier start had gone wrong.
