Jean Todt: “We’ll see what we can learn from Spa”

The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, now famous for its weather conditions and its neutralization after two laps under Safety Car, continues to provoke reactions. Particularly on the side of FIA officials. After Michael Massi et Ross Brawn, it was Jean Todt who spoke on his Twitter account. “ This year's Belgian Grand Prix presented extraordinary challenges to the World Championship Formula 1 for the FIA, declares the President of the International Automobile Federation. The weather windows predicted by meteorologists did not appear throughout the day, and while a small window appeared late in the day during which there was an attempt to start the race, conditions quickly deteriorated at new. As a result, due to the lack of visibility due to the spray behind the cars, we could not run an entire race in conditions of sufficient safety for the drivers, the marshals and the courageous spectators who waited for hours in the rain, and for that I'm really sorry. This was recognized by all stakeholders. »

Jean Todt also discusses the decisions taken by the commissioners during the Grand Prix, in particular on the contested issue of the allocation of half points after two laps under Safety Car: “ The FIA ​​commissioners have, based on the provisions of the International Sporting Code, stopped the competition to have more time, and therefore more opportunity, to give fans an F1 race. Despite these efforts, the race could not start after the Safety Car laps, and the existing rules were correctly applied. I would like to thank and congratulate the FIA ​​team, the ASN and all the volunteers for the quality of their work. The FIA, Formula 1 and teams will carefully review the regulations to see what we can learn and improve for the future. The conclusions, including in particular the subject of the allocation of points, will be added to the agenda of the next meeting of the F1 commission on October 5. »