Formula One: Verstappen wins shortest race in history, Hamilton slams organizers

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won a rain-ruined Belgian Grand Prix in which only a handful of laps were completed. Lewis Hamilton issued scathing criticism of the organizers and thinks fans deserve their money back.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won a rain-ruined Belgian Grand Prix in which only a handful of laps were completed. Lewis Hamilton issued scathing criticism of the organizers and thinks fans deserve their money back.

Max Verstappen was declared the winner of the rain-hit Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday after drivers had completed two laps behind the safety car following a long delay.

The original start never happened as teams were ordered back into the pits after two formation laps showed driving was too dangerous in the pouring rain.

The Spa- Franchorchamps race finally got underway more than three hours later in a planned one-hour format but was red-flagged again after two laps (the minimum distance required to have a classification), with half points awarded for only the sixth time in F1 history.

Verstappen won by virtue of his top spot in qualifying ahead of Williams driver George Russell and world champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, who issued scathing criticism of the organizers.

"Today wasn't a race, I think the sport made a bad choice today," he told Sky Sports.

"I'm really disappointed for the fans, obviously we can't control the weather and I love racing in the rain, but today was something else. The fans stayed out there, they still had energy but they were robbed of a race today and they deserve their money back."

After racing for just 14 kilometers, there was even a podium ceremony for the top three, with Verstappen moving within three points of leader Hamilton in the championship.

"It's a win but not how you want to win," Verstappen said. "Today a big credit goes to all the fans around the track for staying here the whole day in the rain, the cold, windy conditions.

"Of course now in hindsight it was very important to get that pole position. It's a big shame to not do proper laps, but the conditions were very tricky out there."

The conditions had affected the entire race weekend in the Ardennes, which has seen

adverse weather many times before at F1 weekends. It was most difficult in Saturday qualifying where McLaren's Lando Norris topped the first two sessions but his ambitions for a first pole ended when he crashed heavily in the famous Eau Rouge section.

"You couldn't really see five metres in front of you," said Hamilton. "It was hard to even see down the straight. You couldn't go flat out. It's a shame."

The next race is the Dutch Grand Prix on September 5.

mf/mp (AFP, dpa)