08/08/2025 16:35
Lance Stroll has demanded that Formula 1 works on improving
visibility in wet weather, a debate which is ongoing following the
Belgian Grand Prix. The race at Spa-Francorchamps was red-flagged
during the formation lap due to poor visibility, resulting in a
staggering 80-minute delay whilst showers past over the circuit.
Following the stoppage, four laps behind the safety car were
conducted, before green flag running got underway on what had
become a largely dry circuit. F1's race director, Rui Marques,
received mixed verdicts on the stoppage and how the race was
restarted, with the likes of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton
having been highly critical. Some defended the delay and the race
restart method, noting that the FIA warned the drivers ahead of the
grand prix that a cautious approach would be taken, given the
circuit's dark past. It has resulted in a debate on how races can
be conducted in wet weather, with spray being the primary concern.
According to Stroll, this is the biggest issue since the size of
the cars and tyres increased, leading to the Aston Martin driver
insisting that the area must be improved to allow for wet races. "I
think the cars have gotten big, the tyres have gotten bigger, the
spray has gotten worse over the years," Stroll told media. "That's
my feeling. "Visibility is the biggest issue now with the size of
the cars and the tyres. Races like Spa with the nature of the
track, Eau Rouge, going 300 km/h without seeing anything at the top
of the hill—racing conditions like that are hard to go through with
and then go racing. "I don't know if it's gotten worse. It's
always been challenging. The spray is the biggest issue and the
visibility. "To go ahead with races like Spa, start earlier and
race in proper wet conditions, we need to work on the visibility
factor and how we can improve that."
