The Spa farce – was it all about the money?
Stand: 4:59 p.m.
The winner, Max Verstappen, said after the race that his success was “a victory that you do not wish for”
Source: Getty Images / Mark Thompson
The absurd staging of the Belgian Grand Prix raises questions. Why did the fans have to wait three hours and then only see two laps of slow speed? Ex-boss Bernie Ecclestone leaves no doubt that it was all about financial aspects.
AIn the end, nothing but a lot of water fell by the wayside, half points and a lot of trouble about a race that had never been one. The Belgian Grand Prix 2021 is one of the biggest scandalous sneak rides in Formula 1 history. Due to the persistent rain and the resulting much too wet and dangerous track, the promised race literally fell into the water. After more than three hours of waiting, the 75,000 fans on the track got to see only two slow and boring laps behind the safety car. Because: Driving behind the fiery red Mercedes meant no overtaking.
There was never any racing action, never a sporting competition. The sheer disappointment in the puddles, the mud of the spa and at home in front of the TVs. Despite the short hope of a rain break before the restart at 6:17 p.m., it rained continuously. The result: There were thrilling driver duels during the two hours of waiting only off the track.
Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher played soccer in the garage (Vettel won), the Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc dueled each other in a virtual chess game. “You can’t just sit and do nothing. Then the time passes even slower and you start to wonder whether you should drive at all, ”said Haas team boss Günther Steiner in an interview with WELT. And the audience? They waited patiently in the stands. The only highlight were the few moments in which the drivers waved to the grandstands from the pit lane.
After a driving time of only 8:36 minutes, it was back in the pits
For a long time there was no more tension. Weather updates and the related decisions were repeatedly postponed. The redeeming news came at 6:06 p.m.: The pit lane should be opened in eleven minutes after a break of 2:47 hours – despite heavy rain. A one-hour period started with the green light, after which the Belgian Grand Prix would have ended automatically.
But it didn’t get that far. After just 8:36 minutes driving behind the safety car, the race management waved the red flag again, the cars were parked and never started again. Max Verstappen won the Red Bull and received half the points because at least two laps and less than 75 percent of the actual race distance were completed. For many drivers an absurdity.
For example, ex-world champion Fernando Alonso quarreled: “That wasn’t a Grand Prix. They just distributed the points like that. It’s shocking. “Lewis Hamilton, whose lead in the battle for the World Cup has shrunk from eight to three points, said:” Money makes the world go round. There was no moment here when this race could have been released with a clear conscience. We just don’t convey good values when we sell such an appearance to the fans as a race. “The race management only sent the drivers out onto the track,” so that we could drive two laps behind the safety car so that it counts as a race. “
Because of the spray, the pilots could hardly see the man in front. There have been quite a few breaks in history. The fact that it couldn’t really start because of bad weather is a novelty.
Formula 1 expert Christian Danner was also shocked when talking to WELT. “The farce is that you turned the qualifying result into a race result with a few tricks,” he said. Because there was never a chance to overtake, both the fans and the drivers who had started in the back were left behind. They didn’t even get the chance to finish in the points with a good performance on the track. It was like playing a few minutes of football in the Bundesliga, but no one is allowed to shoot on goal.
“You should get your money back”
The start of the race was probably a conscious decision by those responsible in order not to have to pay for the costs. Even if Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali denied this: “Financial aspects were irrelevant. When we talk about racing, it’s about responsibility. These things are not connected with each other. ”According to his account, the entry fee would have been paid in any case, regardless of whether the Grand Prix was being driven or not. Ex-Formula 1 owner Bernie Ecclestone disagreed. He told Blick that the Belgian organizer would not have had to pay the series if the race had been canceled.
Not the only financial aspect where there is a disagreement. Domenicali did not speak out clearly in favor of compensation for fans. The Belgian organizer only expressed sympathy on its website. Several drivers, however, asked for compensation. “The fans paid so much money for travel and tickets and then didn’t even see a race. You should get your money back, ”said Mercedes driver Hamilton. Pierre Gasly from Alpha Tauri also agreed: “You came for a race that didn’t exist. I hope that those responsible will find a solution. “
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