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Ecclestone sides with Hamilton over Belgian GP farce - 'F1 not Afghanistan'

Photo: © LAT Images
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Ecclestone sides with Hamilton over Belgian GP farce - 'F1 not Afghanistan'

Former F1 supremo would have let drivers make race call

GPFans Staff

Bernie Ecclestone has revealed he would have allowed the drivers to make their own call on whether to race in the rain-lashed Belgian Grand Prix, insisting F1 "is not Afghanistan".

The FIA brought a halt to events at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit almost four hours after the scheduled start time, with half points awarded after the required two laps for a classification were run, albeit behind the safety car.

After watching the events unfold, former F1 supremo Ecclestone told the Daily Mail: "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.

"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."

Post-race, seven-time F1 champion Hamilton declared what had unfolded "a farce", suggesting the two laps run to ensure were for commercial reasons, specifically stating that "money talks".

Ecclestone added: "I agree with Lewis. I don't always but on this he was right."

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