Lewis Hamilton has led criticism of the FIA’s shyness in delaying the start of the Monaco Grand Prix due to rain. Eventually, the race was delayed 70 minutes after a heavy downpour, but the seven-time champion believed he could have started as planned, believing the drivers of the sport are more than capable of facing difficult conditions.
The grand prize was won by Sergio Pérez of Red Bull, but only after race director Eduardo Freitas considered the conditions bad for starting the race. Freitas is one of Michael Masi’s two replacements who was sacked following last year’s Abu Dhabi GP controversy.
The FIA cited the lack of time for drivers to run wet over the weekend as one of the reasons for the delay and then start behind the safety car. Hamilton, who finished eighth, was convinced they could get off the track.
“I do not know why we were not sent to the start, but we are Formula 1 drivers so [the weather] not a good enough reason, “he said.
“I was like ‘let’s go’ when it only rained a little at first. We’ll talk about it in the drivers’ briefing, but we should have started the race.”
The FIA has since cited a power outage, caused by rain and affecting the start system of the race, as responsible for the long delay. The race was initially held for 16 minutes, during which time the riders thought they might have been running.
But then the rain intensified considerably. Two laps of training were completed behind the safety car before a further 45-minute hold.
Sergio Pérez won the Monaco Grand Prix Photography: Daniel Cole / AP
The sudden increase in rain had caused the electricity problem. “The delay in resuming the race after heavy rain was due to a power problem with the exit systems, the exit portico and the light panels,” the FIA said in a statement.
However, Mercedes team director Toto Wolff also cited a breakdown in television broadcasting as a factor in the delay, potentially also caused by the power outage. “The rain at first was torrential,” he said. “Then there was a problem with the connectivity for the TV show which meant we couldn’t get started.”
The circuit and its facilities in Monte Carlo are temporarily built every year and the organizers are in the process of negotiating a new contract with F1, which will not notice the breakdown of infrastructure such as a power outage that prevents the start of the race.