F1 News
Belgian Grand Prix 2021 | Verstappen takes easiest win ever
- GPblog.com
The last edition of the Belgian Grand Prix was won by Max Verstappen. However, because there were only a few laps (behind the safety car), the Dutchman did not get the full points. Here is a look back at the Belgian race weekend in 2021.
Russell surprises friend and foe
As has been customary for years, the Belgian GP was the moment to kick off the season after a summer break. The F1 season had been a true spectacle up until then with Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen battling it out for the world title. Hamilton went into Belgium as the leader, but only had a margin of eight points.
The qualifying session for the Grand Prix was held on 28 August 2021, but due to extreme rainfall the qualifying session was first postponed. After a short delay, the session started anyway and it was the full wets under the F1 cars. In these conditions, Verstappen, Hamilton and Lando Norris were very fast, but the latter slid into the wall after going off track in Eau Rouge.
With Norris out of the session, it was another Brit who stole the show in Q3. Behind Verstappen, it was George Russell who steered his Williams into second place. With this, he was faster than number three Hamilton. It would ultimately prove enough for his first F1 podium.
Easiest win ever for Verstappen
On Sunday the weather was not much better. In fact, before the GP it started to rain even harder, flooding the track. Sergio Perez did not even make it to the grid, as he crashed into the wall on the warm-up lap. He was allowed to start the race, but had to give up his seventh qualifying spot and start from the back.
The race, however, would never really start. Two attempts were made from behind the safety car, one of which was counted. Three laps behind the safety car were enough for race control to consider it an official race. This allowed half points to be awarded but left fans bewildered.
Verstappen won the Belgian GP, ahead of Russell and Hamilton, but after the race there was a lot of criticism on the organisation. Why was the race not postponed one day and why were points handed out after all? Because of the criticism, the FIA has decided to change the rules from 2022 onwards, as a result of which more real laps will have to be driven without a safety car in order to award points at all. Fans would be compensated, but are still waiting for that compensation.