Fernando Alonso explains why F1 races under heavy rain are disappearing. Fernando Alonso explains why Formula 1 races under heavy rain have become rare.

Recently, the number of Formula 1 races held under heavy rain conditions has significantly decreased, and Fernando Alonso has provided insights into why this is happening. The last Formula 1 race before the summer break started with a considerable delay. The reason? The stewards deemed the heavy rain too dangerous to begin the race. Alonso explained why racing under wet conditions has become increasingly difficult and even proposed a possible solution.

In particular, the Aston Martin driver identified the wider tires introduced in 2017 as one of the main causes of the current problems. Another factor, according to Fernando Alonso, is the new types of asphalt used on circuits, described as “mirrors” in wet conditions due to their high grip and reflective surface when wet.

Following the weather conditions at the Belgian Grand Prix, the topic of safety in rain became a key discussion point during the next race weekend in Hungary. The two-time Formula 1 world champion addressed the decisions made by race control, defending their cautious approach to safety.

When asked if he believed that the visibility problems which led to the start of the first formation lap behind the safety car and eventually to the red flag had worsened over recent years, Fernando Alonso agreed.

“I think so,” he told the media. “I think probably since 2017, with that regulation and the wider tires, visibility has worsened. But it’s a really difficult subject. We all want to race. If you are alone on track, you can race; no problem. But if you’re in a group of cars, you don’t see anything.”

“We all want to be brave, we all want to race. But then, when an accident happens, we remember that there’s nothing wrong with waiting another half hour. Unfortunately, that’s how things go.”

“I think the wider tires have definitely worsened visibility, and probably part of the circuit asphalt is a bit different compared to the past,” he continued. “Because we raced with lots of water in Sepang, on different circuits, and it always went fine.”

Limited visibility: Alonso’s solution

“And now this new generation of asphalt, which is very black and very grippy when dry, acts like a mirror when wet and visibility is poor. But I don’t know what we can do about what tires can do on a very rough asphalt.”

“I have said many times that there are some highways that produce no spray at all. So, if we applied that kind of asphalt to all circuits as a general rule, we wouldn’t produce any spray,” he concluded.