Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen has raised serious concerns about the sport following the conclusion of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend that was severely impacted by rain. Since there were visibility concerns at the event, there were fears that the FIA may cancel the event altogether. While Verstappen too raised concerns about the visibility, he still believes that not having wet races altogether is not the way ahead for the sport. He believes that if F1 were to follow the same path, the sport would be more like NASCAR.
The FIA already seems to be evaluating the same, and as per a report from soymotor.com, they are considering to introduce a new element in the single-seaters to improve visibility by reducing the spray. However, Verstappen believes that the reason for the increased spray is because of F1’s decision to move to “bigger tires“.
A perfect weekend in Spa 🇧🇪 We’ve been on it from start to finish @redbullracing 💪 The car was great 🚀
Thank you Orange Army, your support has been unreal 🙌 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/05mFAL5FWG
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) July 30, 2023
He made this remark in an interview with racingnews365.com during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. Moreover, considering that the visibility is so bad currently, Verstappen does not believe that F1 can do much with the current design of the tires.
Max Verstappen does not want F1 to follow NASCAR’s footsteps
While speaking in an interview with racingnews365.com (as quoted by soymotor.com), Max Verstappen expressed his growing concerns about the path that F1 could take. He made his remarks soon after FRECA driver Dilano van’t Hoff, unfortunately, passed away, and concerns emerged if F1 should even take place during the rain.
This is because while rain-affected Grand Prixs are great for the fans as it provides immense drama, there are serious concerns about safety. Despite the same, the Dutchman is adamant that F1 needs to find ways of continuing to have races even when it rains.
“Of course, certain accidents happen that have a bad outcome and then naturally people start talking about it more. But if you look at it that way, you can’t race in the rain anymore because there will always be problems with visibility. That would be a shame. It would become like NASCAR. They don’t drive in the rain either,” explained the Red Bull driver.
According to rookieroad.com, on most occasions, NASCAR races do not take place in the rain. In case the officials believe that it is not safe for the drivers to race, they immediately show a red flag. More importantly, in the case of rain, NASCAR races can be affected by not only hours but also days.
As per the website, the rules state that NASCAR has the option of rescheduling a canceled race for the week after the final race on the schedule. In case, if such an option is used in F1, it would just make the season much longer, and it seems that Verstappen does not want the sport to take that route. However, at the same time, Verstappen does not want F1 to compromise on safety either.
Verstappen reveals Dilano’s death affected him severely
In a recent interview with formule1.nl, Max Verstappen explains how Dilano van’t Hoff’s death traumatized him. “I immediately think about my family. Then you think: S**t, if this had happened to me, they would have…Then you think: F***“, explained the Red Bull driver.
However, he did add that such incidents can happen to anyone and also anywhere and that they are just a part of life. He believes that if people are not willing to take risks, they would be bound at home. Moreover, considering that Verstappen and the other F1 drivers race at speeds in excess of 200+ mph on a consistent basis, they undoubtedly would know the risks involved in the sport more than anybody else.
