The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is renowned for unpredictability, but it’s safe to say no one bargained for what took place or, technically, what didn’t take place at this year’s Belgian Grand Prix – the shortest race in Formula 1 history. Quite simply, the weather gods weren’t on our side at the weekend and, after managing to cobble together enough laps behind the Safety Car to declare a result and hand out half points, Daniel Ricciardo’s six points for fourth meant we left the Ardennes having regained third the Constructors’ Championship in the strangest of circumstances.

Here’s what social media made of a grand prix that won’t be forgotten any time soon, even though there wasn’t any actual racing…

The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa is always a special event  – it’s one of the most iconic in Formula 1 – but this weekend it was extra special, as it marked Daniel’s 200th grand prix. A milestone that didn’t go unrecognised by fans:

The tasty treats didn’t stop at cakes though.

And, of course, it was imperative to dress suitably for the occasion.

McLaren is known for having #FansLikeNoOther and we couldn’t resist making several fans’ days. Scratch that, make that weekends. No, wait, make that years!

TWITTER DISCUSSION

Even Mika Häkkinen stopped by:

It was great to be back out on track after the four-week summer break. Friday’s free practice sessions were hit with smatterings of rain early on but, with an 80% chance of rain forecast for Saturday and Sunday, FP1 and FP2 would provide the best running conditions of the entire weekend.  

Qualifying was wet, very wet…

But Lando was flying in the rain and exuded confidence in the car, topping both Q1 and Q2. Daniel also made it safely into Q3 – although some were biting their nails for a few moments:

It’s not presumptuous to say that given his pace, Lando had a great shot at securing his first pole position in F1…

Although there were those who were wary of tempting fate:

As he began his first flyer in Q3, Lando’s bid for pole unravelled when he lost the rear of the car coming out of Eau Rouge and slid off up the hill at Raidillon, making heavy contact with the barrier. Sadly, this meant we had to put the Piña Colandos on ice…

While our shot at pole was washed away, the most important thing was that Lando was unhurt.

We all did @Rellarc79:

Sebastian Vettel was first on the scene to check Lando was alright and it highlighted the fact that, while we’re all hardened competitors on the track, there is a great camaraderie that runs throughout the paddock and among the drivers.

After Lando’s shunt, Q3 was restarted with just less than nine minutes on the clock and Daniel did brilliantly in tricky conditions, pumping in a lap of 2m00.864s on his final flyer to secure P4 on the grid – his best qualifying result for McLaren.

The moral of the story is never, ever, get off the Ricciardo Train:

The day got even better when, after precautionary checks, Lando was cleared to race:

Except, Lando and Daniel wouldn’t get the chance to race or ‘put on a show’ as @Cheeky_Tee put it…

Having endured what almost felt like a season’s worth of unpredictability in the space of 48 hours, fan predictions for the race as the rain continued to bucket down on the grid ranged from cautious…

To oh-so optimistic:

Gotta admire the photoshop skills here…

But, in the end, rain stopped play.

Not just you, @Stylescchalamet. All of us…

Still, could be worse…

Lando and Daniel dealt with the wait in different ways. Lando got some extra kip:

Meanwhile, Daniel was keeping ‘active’:

Further down the pit-lane, our friends at Alpha Tauri were contemplating a barbecue after Pierre Gasly’s talk of sausages over team radio:

The wet weather and repeated delayed starts didn’t dampen spirits too much on the ground:

Despite Formula 1 and the FIA’s best efforts, including two attempts to get the race underway behind the Safety Car, the conditions were not safe enough to race in. It meant that after just a few laps behind the Safety Car the race result was declared and only half points were awarded, with Daniel finishing fourth and Lando P14. It was a bizarre end to one of the strangest days in Formula 1 history but, through it all, the support from you, our fans, was unwavering. Whether you were watching from home or braving the elements at the track, thank you for hanging in there.

And you can be sure we’ll be back for more next year, Spa.

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