McLaren Goes Against Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, Defends FIA over Spa Controversy 

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella went against Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton when it came to FIA's cautious approach at the Belgian GP.

McLaren Goes Against Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, Defends FIA over Spa Controversy 

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton (via Getty), Andrea Stella (via autosport)

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The Belgian GP was filled with controversial decisions from race control and the FIA. The rainy conditions at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit forced the governing body to suspend the race for over an hour and delay it until the conditions improved. However, the weather wasn’t seemingly as bad as the FIA made it out to be and ruined the setup for multiple drivers, primarily Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The two veterans criticized these decisions from race control. Though, McLaren boss Andrea Stella has come out in support of the race officials.

Max Verstappen initially lashed out at the FIA for taking too many safety and cautious decisions about the rain-laden Belgian GP. Lewis Hamilton joined the reigning world champion and condemned the decisions taken by the officials for the main event on Sunday. While some drivers raised concerns about a lack of visibility and grip, Verstappen was particularly adamant that the conditions weren’t so bad.

On the contrary, McLaren has lauded the FIA for taking a great decision and delaying the race start to avoid any unnecessary harm to the drivers racing in the wets. Team Principal Andrea Stella, pointed out that officials managed the race day in a ‘very wise’ manner. The Italian added that there was a lot of rain predicted, as on a circuit like Spa-Francorchamps, a late decision could be fatal to one’s life on the track.

I think today the race was managed in a very wise way by the FIA, ecause we knew that there was a lot of rain coming, and I think in a circuit like this, if you make the calls late, it may be too late, and the outcome could be a difficult outcome.

Andrea Stella said, as reported by Motorsport.com

The Spa-Francorchamps is notoriously known for being one of the more dangerous circuits on the calendar, as F2 driver Anthoine Hubert crashed and passed away due to a tragic accident in 2019. Keeping in mind the history, Andrea Stella reckoned that it was better and safer to take proactive decisions and delay the race. The 54-year-old highlighted that the drivers got to race in wet and dry conditions as the track transitioned within a couple of laps.

So I think being on the forefoot is the right approach, and delaying the race allowed us to race in wet conditions, and then we went into dry, but in fairness, we are in Spa, we didn’t even know how long the dry race would have been, and we knew that there could have been wet conditions again at the end.

Andrea Stella added

Andrea Stella speaks up on Max Verstappen’s wet Belgian GP wish

The 2024 Brazilian GP, which consisted of very treacherous conditions and multiple safety car restarts, was extremely fun from a viewer’s perspective. Although the drivers faced a real threat on track and feared for their safety, it made for some great racing action. As such, a race run around the Spa-Francorchamps circuit under similar conditions could’ve been equally interesting, something Max Verstappen wanted to have. Even Andrea Stella had to accept this notion.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (via Getty)
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (via Getty)

Andrea Stella pointed out that the teams must praise the FIA for their decisions at the Belgian GP, as they deserved all the compliments. Still, Stella acknowledged that cars racing in wet conditions, especially at the Belgian circuit, would be very entertaining for the viewers. However, one should also keep in mind the high average speed around the track, as it could be fatal if even a single driver loses control on the track.

I think this is one of the cases in which this should be praised, because I understand that it would be quite entertaining to see cars going in wet conditions, but we all should be wary that the average speed in Spa is so high that the cars just displace such a large amount of water that it’s just impossible to see.

Andrea Stella noted

Regardless of the drivers and teams having contrasting opinions on the race, the Belgian GP was still enjoyable for the fans and drivers. Many teams decided to stick with a setup that would excel in treacherous conditions, as they were put at a disadvantage because of the FIA’s decision. However, everyone would want all 20 drivers to be safe on track and get out of their cars alive and healthy.

Read More: Nico Rosberg Labels Max Verstappen ‘Crazy’ over Belgian GP Weather Delay