Max Verstappen said the decision to delay the start of the Belgian Grand Prix due to heavy rain was "disappointing" and overly cautious.
The race was due to start at 3 p.m. local time, but although the rain had just stopped moments before, some drivers complained of poor visibility from the spray during the formation lap and a decision was made by race control to delay the start of the race as more heavy downpours were incoming at Spa-Francorchamps, which is situated in the Ardennes region of Belgium.
Lando Norris who started from the pole, reported the conditions on the team radio during the first formation lap, saying: "[It's] not ideal for the time being. I can't see a lot behind the safety car. So I can't imagine what it's like for everyone else."
The drivers went back out on the circuit for a second formation lap at 4:20 p.m. local time, where the race started under safety car conditions for four laps. A rolling start was issued by the race director, which meant safety car conditions ended as the cars passed the start/finish straight to start Lap 5, where Oscar Piastri overtook Lando Norris for the race lead.
Verstappen told reporters after the race that he was disappointed with the decision, following a wet and chaotic race at Silverstone earlier this month.
"We made a choice with the setup and they only allowed us to drive in almost slick conditions, so yeah, it was a bit disappointing," he said.
"Of course we spoke after Silverstone to be a little bit more cautious with the decisions, but this was at the other extreme for me. It was a choice that we made with the setup of the car.
"It was then of course the wrong one, because they didn't allow us to race in the wet. Once we got to the dry tires, we were just too slow on the straight. And then with the general balance problems that I already have with this car, it made everything just a bit worse."
Verstappen, who started and finished fourth on the grid, said the race should have started at its original time as the teams prepared for a wet race.
"This for me it was the other extreme," he said. "It just ruined a nice classic wet race as well. We either still try to push to go for a wet race or we just say you know what we stop racing in the wet and wait for it to be dry, but it's not what you want.
"You make all the decisions based on wet racing, so then also it just ruins your whole race a bit. I mean, realistically, P3, it would have been the highest possible. We were very close to that. At the same time it also still highlighted our weaknesses in the car. And yeah, that's something that is not so easy to fix."
Meanwhile, George Russell said despite enjoying driving in the rain, it is challenging with a lack of visibility.
"As racer, you always want to get going," he said. "You love driving in the rain. But the fact is, when you're doing over 200 miles an hour out of Eau Rouge, you literally cannot see anything, you may as well have a blindfold on.
"It isn't racing, it's just stupidity."