Two laps? Was that really the best Formula 1 and the FIA could do?
If so, they should be absolutely embarrassed by that farce they passed off for a “race.”
In case you missed it, heavy rain red-flagged the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit Spa-Francorchamps. It never relented, the field turned two laps behind the safety car, and called it a day.
The White Zone: Shame on Formula 1 and the FIA
A bunch of nothing
“It’s obviously disappointing for everyone involved that we could not get the full race distance in but we’ve tried to do the best that we all possibly could,” FIA race director Michael Masi said. “At least we got something in.”
“It’s been a long old day. We’ve seen the worst of the weather today. The conditions have not been great all weekend but we’ve had patches where we could get activity done. But today the weather got a bit the better of us.”
What a bunch of corporate spin. Masi had the nerve to call this race getting something in? What’s to be proud of that, sir? That was not a race. That was an absolute farce that people paid money to see and attend. People traveled from far and wide to see the premier motorsports league in the world, in the midst of possibly its biggest championship fight in years, and you give them that clown-show?
No wonder the FIA took down its tweet with the race results.
And the @fia deleted the tweet! HAHAHAHAHA!!!#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/X5uGuKmsPT
— Tucker White (@TuckerWhite94) August 29, 2021
What makes it worse is the passive word choice and not taking responsibility for this. Say what you will about the current officiating regime at NASCAR. At least the heads in Daytona Beach, Florida, will step up and admit when they botched it.
All you got, Sunday, from F1 and the FIA was excuses.
They couldn’t move the race to Monday because of bureaucracy, logistics, volunteer marshals, etc.
So the world’s richest and most-watched motorsports league is reliant on free labor from track marshals, can’t figure out how to make a six-day turnaround in the European Union, between countries with open borders, work out and didn’t even conceive of this scenario as a possibility?
The White Zone: Shame on Formula 1 and the FIA
The fallout
So I ask, again. Was this really the best Formula 1 and the FIA could’ve done?
You couldn’t come up with a sensible workaround, and wound up with a two-lap “race” that awarded half points. During a season where Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are putting on the closest championship battle in years.
If this was truly the best F1 and the FIA could do, then congratulations! You’ve ensured that the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix usurped the 2005 United States Grand Prix as the biggest black eye in the history of the world championship.
At least that farce went the full distance.
Until both F1 and the FIA admit they dropped the ball and present better contingency plans, going forward, then they deserve all the bad publicity that’s coming with this race.
That’s my view, for what it’s worth.
TOP IMAGE: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
