Jeremy Clarkson Slams the FIA Over Belgian Grand Prix Delayed Start
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson ripped the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix race director after fans were denied wet-weather racing.
The forecast for Sunday's race at Spa called for a good amount of rain to fall throughout the day.
The race director delayed the start of the race due to rain, opting to wait and see if the rain stopped.
After more than an hour, they finally got the race underway, though it was via a rolling start.
The FIA Safety Car leads Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes and Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes on track during the F1 Grand Prix...
The FIA Safety Car leads Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes and Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 27, 2025 in Spa, Belgium. More
Photo byThe safety car did four laps as the cars swept the water off the track. Then it came in, and the pole-sitter, McLaren's Lando Norris, got the race underway.
The cars used intermediate tires for the first part of the race and then switched to slick tires for the second portion.
The wet tires were never used despite the amount of rain that poured on the track, with the FIA arguing that it was in fact the lack of visibility that was the issue, not the lack of grip.
After the race, drivers and fans alike were left questioning the purpose of the blue-stripped tire and whether wet conditions would feature in any future race.
Clarkson offered his thoughts on the delay of the race and called out the race directors.
"Dear God in heaven. What is the race director at Spa doing?" Clarkson posted to X.
Dear God in heaven. What is the race director at Spa doing? — Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) July 27, 2025
Clarkson is a well-known critic of the FIA and its decision-making processes. He is fond of the old-school racing approach when cars raced under intense conditions.
The reality TV star wasn't the only one left wondering why the race was handled in such a way.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen also wondered why the drivers weren't allowed to race at the original start time.
"It's a bit disappointing, because we spoke after Silverstone to be a little bit more cautious with the decisions," the four-time champion said.
"But this was then the other extreme for me. Of course, between Turn 1 [La Source] and 5 [Les Combes] was quite a bit of water, but if you do two or three laps behind the safety car, then it would have been a lot more clear, and the rest of the track was, anyway, ready to go.
"It's a bit of a shame. Of course. I knew that they would be a bit more cautious after Silverstone, but this also didn't make sense.
"Then it's better to say: 'You know what? Let's wait until it's completely dry and then we just start on slicks.' Because this is not really wet-weather racing for me."
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