Cancelling the race was WRONG! Bernie Ecclestone agrees with Lewis Hamilton over farcical Belgian GP as the ex-F1 supremo says he would NOT have abandoned the race – instead leaving final decision to the 20 drivers
- Max Verstappen was crowned victor of the Belgium Grand Prix in Spa on Sunday
- It is the shortest Grand Prix race in the sport’s history with just two finished laps
- Lewis Hamilton called it a farce and Bernie Ecclestone agreed with the driver
- Speaking to Sportsmail, Ecclestone says he would not have cancelled the race
Bernie Ecclestone says he would not have called off Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix but left the decision whether to race up to individual drivers.
The former Formula One supremo told Sportsmail: ‘I would have said at 3pm when the race was due to start, let’s try again at 4pm or 4.30pm.
‘It doesn’t look as if conditions will improve but I don’t know. But regardless of what’s happening it will start then.
Torrential rain saw Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix restricted to two laps behind the safety car
Lewis Hamilton called it a ‘farce’ and Bernie Ecclestone (right) agreed with the world champion
‘If you want to race fine; if not, fine. Nobody could put a pistol to anyone’s head. It was up to them.
‘If I was at the back of the grid, I might decide it’s not worth the risk because it’s bloody dangerous out there.
‘If I wanted to score points for the team and for myself, I might think I wanted to go ahead. People make their own minds up, and it is not Afghanistan.
‘We have raced in worse conditions than that and not called off the race.’
Ecclestone (left) rarely agrees with Hamilton (right) but felt the decision to cancel was wrong
The ex-F1 supremo believes the decision should have been left with drivers whether to race
Sunday’s non-event lasted for just two laps behind the safety car after more than three hours of delay as rain fell at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the Ardennes forest.
Max Verstappen won with George Russell second and Lewis Hamilton third.
Hamilton said the decision to go ahead was commercial – two laps being the required minimum distance for a classified race.
Ecclestone said: ‘I agree with Lewis. I don’t always but on this he was right.’
Max Verstappen was crowned the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix after a bizarre event