Spa Sprint Shootout DELAYED amid 'highly changeable' conditions

Belgian Grand Prix

Spa Sprint Shootout DELAYED amid 'highly changeable' conditions

Weather delays start of qualifying session for sprint race

Lauren Sneath

Saturday 29 July 2023 12:46

The Sprint Shootout qualifying session to set up the starting grid for this afternoon's race has been delayed.

The session, due to start at 11:00am BST, was delayed indefinitely as rain poured at different parts of the track.

At 11:20am, it was announced that the session would get underway at 11:35am, after large tractors had swept and blown standing water off the track.

Article continues under video

Before the announcement, was noted that 10 minutes before the session began it started to 'pour' over Spa.

GPFans Dutch senior editor Jan Bolscher tweeted: "Just under ten minutes until the sprint shootout and it comes pouring down over Spa."

Een kleine tien minuten tot de sprint shootout en het komt met bakken uit de lucht boven Spa. #F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/2kkz94vMrD
— Jan Bolscher (@bolscher_jan) July 29, 2023

The official F1 account tweeted: "We'll be a bit delayed starting this one - updates as we get them!"

Sky Sports F1's Natalie Pinkham called the weather conditions 'highly changeable' as the team waited for the session to get underway.

Welcome to a very soggy Sprint Saturday ☔️

We'll be a bit delayed starting this one - updates as we get them!#BelgianGP #F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/zOrzeDIemb
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 29, 2023

Amid speculation about the protocol for if a shootout session could not go ahead, it was suggested that qualification places for the main race would be applied to the sprint. This would put Verstappen on pole position.

The knock on effect will also mean the start of the sprint race has also been delayed with a start time moving from 4.30pm local time to 5.05pm.

As per regulations, "The gap between the start of sprint shootout and sprint is fixed at four-and-a-half hours."

From the FIA: if there's no sprint shootout, then most likely scenario is using the qualifying classification to set the sprint grid - would mean Verstappen on pole, as grid penalty only applies to the Sunday race #F1 #BelgianGP
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) July 29, 2023