After the Belgian GP fiasco, the FIA finally reacts

The simulacrum of racing that the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix offered us should ultimately no longer be on the agenda in F1. The Commission, meeting this Monday in council, ruled on this type of event as well as on the distribution of points upon arrival.

Published on 14/02/2022 à 17:39

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After the Belgian GP fiasco, the FIA finally reacts

The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix will ultimately never have seen the light of day, after hours of waiting - Photo Antonin Vincent / DPPI

The fiasco of the last Belgian Grand Prix will have at least helped to shed some light on this boiling subject. Despite a few laps completed behind the safety car, the inability of the race management to start a Grand Prix under such conditions was a problematic case to say the least. In addition, that day, half of the points were still distributed to the first ten drivers on the grid. A decision which caused a real outcry within the community F1, given the laborious progress of the day. From now on, this kind of scenario should not happen again so easily.

Two laps without a safety car to confirm the result

We still remember George Russell's first career podium. Or the 12,5 points awarded to Max Verstappen that Sunday, author of pole position in Dantesque conditions the day before. But we also remember these long hours of waiting before the race management decided to stop the race. In short, this weekend in Belgium was a real ordeal.

To remedy this, the FIA has decided not to award any points if “a minimum of two laps have not been completed by the leader without intervention by the safety car and/or the virtual safety car”. As soon as the leader of the race covers “more than two laps but less than 25% of the distance planned for the race”, a new points system will then take over. The first five drivers would then be rewarded, from 1 to 6 units for the leader.

In the event that the leader only completes 25 and 50% of the distance planned for the race, the first nine drivers on the grid will then be credited with points (from 1 to 13 units). Finally, in cases where 50 to 75% of the distance for the race is completed, the top 10 will be awarded points, from 1 to 19 this time. This is a little clearer now!