Lewis Hamilton: Younger drivers are becoming increasingly cautious in the wet

"Racing in the wet is definitely not what it used to be," the 41-year-old Hamilton said. "I've had some great races, like back in 2008 in the wet. But back then, we did far more testing and had better wet-weather tyres thanks to extensive development with Bridgestone."

"Personally, I love racing in the rain. I think race control is overly cautious, but the same goes for the young drivers entering the sport. We, the old-school drivers, immediately say, 'Let's race,' whereas most of the youngsters would rather not. They receive mixed messages and are extremely hesitant. Yet it's in extreme conditions where you can truly test your limits. Is it riskier? Absolutely. In Malaysia, I was out there on slicks in treacherous conditions, but I thrive on that challenge. That is the essence of racing—driving by feel, right on the edge. That's where you make the difference, and that's how I always stood out in the wet."

"In my view, the moment the FIA gave the green light to start was spot on given the intensity of the rain," the 32-year-old Spaniard commented. "We all agreed that it had been raining too heavily before that. We tried to race, but external factors like the software failure created issues, not a lack of desire to drive in the wet. Personally, I welcome the rain because it offers better chances for a strong result."

"There are two main issues," the 22-year-old said. "The first is the software—you never know exactly when the power will kick in, which is tricky in the wet. On top of that, intermediate tyres simply cannot cope with standing water and puddles. For them to work, the asphalt just needs to be damp and uniform. Growing up in junior categories, you'd put wet tyres on and race, whereas now you constantly have to dodge certain parts of the track. We need improvements there."

When it comes to software settings, not everyone shares the younger drivers' concerns. "It turned out to be much easier than I expected because each driver can manage the kilowatt delivery and acceleration curve themselves," said 36-year-old Sergio Perez, driving for Ferrari-powered Cadillac, whereas Hadjar races with Red Bull Ford power. "It's down to the driver—you decide how much load to take on and you can turn the power down from 350kW to 250kW or 200kW."