30/08/2021
NEWS STORY
Race director, Michael Masi has confirmed that talks will be held with F1 bosses and the teams in a bid to avoid a repeat of the situation that has put the sport back on the front pages for the wrong reasons.
While George Russell and Williams seem happy to reflect on Spa as the scene of the Briton's first 1 podium, it is unlikely that Daniel Ricciardo will look back as fondly on his 200th Grand Prix start, nor Honda its 50th race with Red Bull.
And while Lewis Hamilton voices the opinion of many fans, certainly those that actually braved the conditions, imagine if yesterday had marked his iconic 100th Grand Prix win.
And while Nikita Mazepin basks in the glory of posting the fastest race lap - on the second lap of a race that only officially consisted of one lap - one wonders what Crypto.com feels about the somewhat inauspicious start to its 'Overtake Award'.
Race director, Michael Masi has confirmed that the FIA is to meet with F1 bosses and the teams to discuss how best to avoid a repeat of yesterday's farce.
"After this weekend, at our next meeting for next year, we'll look at a whole lot of things that you know we can all look at, to see what everyone wants to do," said the Australian.
"As you're all well aware we're at one of those points that the FIA works with all ten teams and F1 to develop the regulations. And so we'll go through all of the various scenarios and see what everyone thinks."
Following a day when at times it appeared officials were making it up as they went along, there will be much to discuss, in terms of why the event couldn't have been postponed, the decision to award points for a two (one) lap parade and the decision to allow Sergio Perez to race after crashing over three hours earlier. And that's for starters.
Sponsorship guru, Zak Brown took to social media to call for an urgent review of the situation, (rightly) insisting that F1 and the FIA need to look into the definition of the word 'race'.
"The regulations state that after you do a few laps it can be called a race," said the American in a video on Twitter. "I think that needs to be reviewed.
"I don't think there is anyone who would argue the weather was safe to race in," he admitted, "but we need a better solution as a sport when that type of situation happens.
"The outcome should not be a race after three laps behind a safety car," he added. "That is what the rules say but that now needs to be reviewed by all of us, to learn from today and realise that we if are given that type of situation, what would we do differently to make sure the outcome is everyone gets their race in, whether that is the following day or it comes back.
"I don't think anyone would say it felt right calling that a race, so we will work on this and hope that something like this doesn't happen again."
Meanwhile, two well-connected sources have told Pitpass that the saga is far from over and that there are likely to be legal repercussions.
Indeed, in 1985 when the Belgian Grand Prix was cancelled after the freshly laid tarmac broke up. Bernie Ecclestone, aware of the potential legal implications, rescheduled the race which was duly run later in the year.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Spa, here.