Max Verstappen Demands F1 to Find ‘Safe Balance’ over Wet Races

Max Verstappen doubled down on his demand for a safe way to race in the rain without unnecessary delays.

Max Verstappen Demands F1 to Find ‘Safe Balance’ over Wet Races

Max Verstappen (image via XPB images)

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Formula 1 is having a bit of a problem when it comes to racing in wet conditions. The sport is trying to prioritize safety during such situations, which often causes extra delays. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen has now claimed that the sport needs to take the right approach without being too cautious.

In 2025, Formula 1 ended up racing in treacherous conditions at the British GP, causing widespread backlash. The sport tried to play it much safer the next time around at Spa-Francorchamps. However, drivers like Max Verstappen reckoned that F1 was being too cautious. Thus, there is a need to find the right balance which could allow for some exciting on-track action.

Max Verstappen admitted that the sport can’t really make much changes this year to improve racing in the wet. He pointed out that the large tires and diffuser simply spray a lot of water on the track. Verstappen pointed out that the Silverstone race was a bit dangerous and F1 should’ve tried to be safer that time around. However, when it came to the Belgian GP, Max Verstappen deemed it to be too safe. The Dutchman had claimed that the rain was almost gone when cars hit the track.

It has a lot more spray than the older cars, for example. Also with these big tires, there’s a lot more water coming off them. So, yeah, I said it after Spa.  Silverstone was probably on the edge, take it a little bit safer. But then [Spa] for me, was too safe.

Max Verstappen said, as quoted by RacingNews365

At Spa-Francorchamps, Max Verstappen was in the minority when it came to pushing the race to go ahead quickly. 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg had claimed that Verstappen was the sole driver who simply wanted to race, while others came up with ‘stories’ to delay the start.

Max Verstappen exposes reason for wet weather accidents in F1

Racing in wet weather conditions can be dangerous in F1. Drivers are almost blinded by the spray of the car ahead, and rely on their instincts to keep themselves on-track. Even a tiny error can lead to disaster and there have been several crashes over the years.

Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)
Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

Max Verstappen pointed out that when there’s a lot of spray from the cars, drivers should lift off the throttle and create a bigger gap to the car upfront. The Dutch driver claimed that many drivers don’t follow this approach, and this results in crashes on the grid. Verstappen highlighted that everyone assumes that they are all going full throttle. However, he clarified that this was simply his opinion.

When there’s a lot of spray and you can’t see a lot, you can also lift, and can also make a bigger gap if you’re not sure where you’re going. This is something that most of the time when you have big accidents, it’s when people are not lifting, when they can’t really see, and they keep it pinned basically, because they think the people in front of them or behind them do that as well. But, yeah, it’s complicated. Some drivers will say the opposite to what I say, and that’s fine. Everyone has their own opinion.

Max Verstappen explained

Certainly, Max Verstappen wants to race in the wet whenever possible. The reigning world champion is a pure bred racer who is never afraid of a challenge. Though, Verstappen recognizes that F1 must take a balanced safety approach to prevent any disasters on-track. It remains to be seen if fans can witness a wet weather classic in the latter half of this season.

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