Wet weather is not something rare during the Belgian Grand Prix. Over the last few races, all of them have had rain or at least a threat of rain. So it was almost inevitable that the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps would have similar weather conditions. However, in this case, the soon-to-commence Belgian Grand Prix appears to be in doubt as a yellow alert has been issued in the region of Spa.
In 2021, the entire motorsport community witnessed the Belgian GP seeing the chequered flag after just 3 laps behind the safety car due to heavy rain and low visibility for the drivers. This has become a major issue for the FIA over the years.
Only this time around, it is expected to be wet throughout the weekend. To add to the misery, there is a yellow alert issued for Spa and its surroundings. A Yellow alert means that heavy rain and flooding are expected in the region. Traffic may also be affected due to this.
⚠️| 🇧🇪 The Spa circuit area is now under a yellow alert issued by the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium due to the possibility of “intense rain showers” and “local flooding in prone regions.”
The alert is valid until late Friday night.
[@Rodolfoar07]#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/LIKHcBS5oi
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) July 28, 2023
A yellow alert might make it challenging for the fans who will be attending the Grand Prix from today. Luckily the teams have already set up their camps at the circuit, preventing any major logistical issues.
The Formula 1 drivers have requested the FIA to prioritize the safety of the drivers and cancel the Grand Prix if necessary. So there is a possibility that we may not see the cars racing on Sunday. However, according to the reports, heavy rain is expected only during the free practice session on Friday and the sprint race on Saturday. So there is a chance that these sessions alone might be called off based on the situation at the time.
Can the FIA and Formula 1 cancel the Belgian Grand Prix?
The Belgian Grand Prix is hosting one of the Sprint events this season. This means that the drivers will receive only one practice session throughout the weekend. So if the drivers are not able to go out on track during the crucial hour of practice, there is a chance that they might call off the sprint event altogether.
It is unlikely that they would cancel the entire weekend if the cars are not able to go out on track during FP1. If they cancel the sprint weekend, it means that qualifying will not take place on Friday as scheduled. The sprint weekend will likely be converted into a regular weekend with a practice session followed by qualifying on Saturday afternoon. The schedule for the race will remain unchanged.
⚠️| Current FIA assessment cites following rain risks:
FP1: 80% (poor visibility possible)
Qualifying: 60%
Sprint Shootout; 40%
Sprint: 80%
Race: 40%[@fergieweather]#F1 #BelgianGP
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) July 27, 2023
If FP1 and qualifying take place as scheduled, but the Sprint events do not, then the drivers will just race on Sunday after qualifying, skipping the sprint altogether.
As long as one practice session and the qualifying session are doable, the weekend will not be canceled. So we can expect the race to take place, albeit without the exhilarating sprint shoot-out and race. As of now, the stewards are yet to make any drastic changes to the schedule. Let’s wait and see how the weather develops in the next few hours.