Racing in the rain is a hot topic of discussion right now – and all the experts are weighing in their opinions. In an interview, even Gerhard Berger, a 10-time winner, said that it’s about time F1 decides if it wants to continue racing in the rain.

How Did the Discussion Start?

One of the burning topics right now in the world of racing is whether F1 should continue racing in the rain. Of course, there are safety concerns – but people believe it’s still possible.

The fire started when Michael Masi – the FIA race director, took the decision to consider the two laps behind the safety car qualified as an official race. This happened at the race that took place in Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium last weekend. In the race, Max Verstappen was declared a winner without even having to take the green-flag lap.

This decision to give away the trophy without running the green flag lap did not go down well with many people. Even the former Ferrari driver and current DTM series boss said that giving away the trophy like that is not right – and it’s about time F1 took a decision on whether to race in the rains or not.

Berger Feels the F1 Leadership is Not How it Used to Be

Berger adding on to his statement that he gave to European Servus TV, said that he finds nothing wrong with continuing with wet races. Saying it’s easy to figure out where it’s dangerous and where this is planning. He even mentioned that in spite of the non-stop rains of the Sunday, it was possible to drive, adding that it would be dangerous to do so.

Berger feels that what happened on Sunday showed loopholes in the current leadership in F1. He said that during his time, the leadership was very strong and very clear.

He said that F1 has to pick a side and stick to it at the end of the day, as you can’t have fans paying money and have nothing to show for it.

Recently, the VP of Competition has stated that NASCAR should have done a better job officiating the Grand Prix for rainy races. Senior official Scott Miller shared this sentiment when asked about the debut Cup Series event that took place at Circuit at the Americas.

The Debut Race Event for the NASCAR Cup Series Took Place Under Rainy Conditions

The rainy conditions at the Texas Grand Prix deteriorated throughout the entire race until it was called some 14 laps short of the scheduled distance, and Chase Elliott was declared the winner. Apparently, this was decided after the several frightening crashes caused by poor visibility. One crash involved Kevin Harvick, who stated that driving under those conditions was the most dangerous thing he had ever done in his career.

NASCAR’s Sanctioning Body Has Promised to Do Better In The Future

Miller has said in an interview that the sanctioning body has learned a lot from the experience and will do better in the future. He added that he and his colleagues let the race go a bit longer than they should have but would try to be better. According to him, it was a learning experience for them and they would probably pull the plug earlier next time around.

Harvick crashed with Bubba Wallace because of poor visibility, and Ryan Blaney was hit by Christopher Bell for the same reason. While the race started under a light mist, the rain picked up promptly, and the weather and track conditions worsened just as rapidly. According to Harvick, the drivers could not see anything down the straightaways, and the cars were not well suited to run in the rain.

While Harvick has said NASCAR had no business doing races in the rain, Miller says they accept the criticism. Harvick added that he never felt more unsafe in his racing career. Other drivers who crashed during the race were Martin Truex and Cole Custer. Their crash lifted Truex’s car off the ground. The decision to call before its intended lap run was met with criticism by some fans who hoped to watch several more hours of racing.