The Belgian Grand Prix faced safety concerns at the Circuit Spa-Francorchamps as wet weather in the Ardennes Forest led to a significant amount of standing water on the track, prompting a halt to the race after the formation lap. All cars circuited the track at 2pm UK time, the scheduled start time, but drivers reported poor visibility and excessive spray, leading race control to red-flag the Grand Prix and instruct all cars back to the pit lane due to safety concerns.
Lando Norris, who secured pole position, expressed visibility issues over the radio during the formation lap. Many drivers, including Max Verstappen, disagreed with the decision to abandon the race start. Verstappen criticized the cautious approach, anticipating a lengthy delay due to incoming heavy rain.
Following the delay, the FIA announced a new formation lap at 4:20pm local time, with additional laps behind the safety car until conditions were suitable for racing to resume. Weather challenges are common at the Belgian Grand Prix, with past instances of races being severely impacted by adverse conditions.
Spa-Francorchamps, a historic venue in F1, faces changes as F1 revealed that Belgium will no longer have a guaranteed annual race slot in the future, with Spa hosting races in only four of the next six seasons. The circuit will be absent from the calendar in 2028 and 2030 as part of the rotational race venue strategy.