There were plenty of critical takes coming out of Italy on Monday after the rain-shortened Belgian Grand Prix. While there was support for F1's decision not to race, there wasn't a lot for how things played out. La Gazzetta dello Sport didn't hold back in criticising Sunday's event, stating that the sport made a mockery of itself by handing out points. "Formula Farce," is how the publication started its assessment of the event. "Spa was on edge due to the rain and the race only consisted of two laps behind the Safety Car! As a result, the drivers got half points, a decision that saw F1 make a mockery of itself. "Max Verstappen was declared the winner of the race after capturing pole position on Saturday. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton completed the podium and took home half points, a decision that should have never been approved. "The race should have simply been cancelled so that half points weren't awarded. Safety wasn't the only thing that won on Sunday; politics and opportunism did as well. Hamilton, one of F1's biggest stars, underlined this by immediately stating that he hoped fans would get their money back. "The Briton was furious over the team radio once it was clear that the drivers would complete two laps behind the Safety Car before heading back to the pits. Verstappen made up five points on Hamilton and can now prepare for his home Grand Prix. "The Dutchman was the only driver that wanted to race, but he was in the lead and didn't have to deal with the spray in front of him. Verstappen's message to the Race Directors wasn't taken into consideration as a result. "All in all, F1 scored an own goal at the Belgian GP and was the loser of the day." The Corriere dello Sport also hit out at how things unfolded on Sunday, calling the race a "farce" while praising Hamilton. "In Belgium we witnessed one of the most absurd races ever in F1, as politics ran away with victory," read the publication. "Verstappen's win doesn't even feel like a moral victory. "After the race it was Hamilton who hit out at what took place at Spa. The Briton spoke out over the team radio and then told the media that he hoped fans would be reimbursed. "As a result there wasn't much of a celebration on the podium, even though it was a pretty big moment for Williams. Russell took his first career podium and, unsurprisingly, he basked in the moment." La Stampa, like the other outlets, agreed with the decision not to race, however, they believe the call should have been made earlier. It was clear at 15:00 local time that weather conditions would prevent the race from happening. Instead, everyone waited hours to see the shortest race in F1 history, though it's probably best to just forget it all as soon as possible.
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