Among the thousands of pieces of equipment Formula 1 ships across the globe, few are used less frequently than the full wet tyre. That point was underscored again on Sunday at the Belgian Grand Prix, where a rain delay of more than an hour saw drivers waiting in the pits—not racing on full wets.
The issue isn’t grip — it’s visibility.
Pirelli insists the full wet tyres can handle even heavy rainfall, but drivers can’t see through the immense spray kicked up by modern F1 cars. Sunday’s initial attempt to start the race on time demonstrated the danger.
Even at reduced formation lap speeds, Oscar Piastri, who went on to win the race, said he “couldn’t see a thing” despite only having Lando Norris and the safety car ahead of him.
“You can only imagine what it’s like for the guys at the back,” he added.
The race eventually began behind the safety car, with all cars on intermediates, not full wets. These tyres are designed for light rain or a drying track, and were preferred due to the reduced spray they produce.
“We’ve told the FIA in recent years—especially here—that we’d rather be safe than take unnecessary risks,” Piastri said.
“Maybe we could’ve done one fewer lap behind the safety car, but is it worth it if it’s too early? No.”
A Dangerous History at Spa
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is especially notorious when it comes to visibility concerns. It’s one of the fastest and most challenging tracks on the calendar, but also one with a tragic past.
In 2019, Anthoine Hubert was killed during a Formula 2 race in dry conditions. In 2023, Dilano van ’t Hoff, a 19-year-old Dutch driver, died in the rain during a junior series event at the same track.
“On a track like this, with what’s happened in the past, you can’t forget it,” said Charles Leclerc, who finished third and was close friends with Hubert.
“I’d rather be safe than start too early.”
Ground-Effect Cars and the Spray Problem
The current generation of F1 cars, introduced in 2022, features ground-effect aerodynamics. These designs increase grip by generating downforce through the car’s floor—but also kick up significantly more spray, worsening visibility in wet conditions.
That leads to a paradox: if the weather is wet enough to necessitate full wets, it’s often too wet to race safely at all because of poor visibility.
The danger was made clear again at the British Grand Prix, when Isack Hadjar collided into the back of Kimi Antonelli while following closely in spray-filled conditions.
“I didn’t see him,” Hadjar said afterward. “He just appeared out of nowhere, man. Oh my God.”
The Bigger Question
Until F1 solves its visibility issue—perhaps through design tweaks or improved spray deflectors—the full wet tyre may remain more of a backup option than a racing tool, rarely deployed even in conditions they were built to conquer.
