Lewis Hamilton says Belgian Grand Prix fans should get their money back after they waited hours in the cold and wet without seeing a competitive lap in the shortest race in Formula One history.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was awarded the win.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The wet race at Spa-Francorchamps was abandoned after the field, circulating behind the safety car, completed the two laps necessary for half-points to be awarded and commercial obligations to broadcasters and others fulfilled.
"Money talks and the two laps to start the race is all a money scenario," seven times world champion Hamilton, who finished third for Mercedes, told Sky Sports after the podium ceremonies.
"So everyone gets their money and I think the fans should get theirs back too. Because unfortunately they didn't get to see what they paid for."
The Briton said he was really disappointed for the crowd but the conditions were impossible for racing.
"Obviously we can't control the weather, and I love racing in the rain, but today was something else. You really couldn't see the car ahead, there was aquaplaning, it was unfortunately just a disaster on track," he said.
"But the fans stayed out in the rain. They still had energy, they still created the atmosphere but they were robbed of a race today. I think they deserve their money back."
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said everyone had reasons to be upset.
"It is what it is. I guess you need to take this one on the chin and close the chapter on this race and move on," said the Austrian.
"We must really applaud the fans that have been there for three days in the rain, they have waited for a race to happen."
With no overtaking possible, pole sitter Max Verstappen was declared the winner for Red Bull ahead of Williams driver George Russell. Hamilton's overall lead was whittled down to three points from eight.
Max Verstappen Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The race was abandoned at 1844 local time, three hours, 44 minutes after it was supposed to start.
Verstappen, who receives plenty of support at Spa from his army of Dutch fans making the short trip across the border to Belgium, also sympathised with the fans.
"I think for today the credit goes to all the fans around the track to stay here the whole day in the rain, in the cold, in the windy conditions, so I think they are actually the bigger winners today," he said.
The race will have its own place in history as the only F1 grand prix to involve no racing.
After the extraordinary events of Spa, the Dutch Grand Prix follows next weekend, with the historic Zandvoort track returning to the calendar for the first time since 1985 amid expectations of a packed house of Verstappen fans.
Today's Belgian Grand Prix was Formula One's shortest race and only the sixth since the championship started in 1950 to end with half-points awarded.
Following are details on the other five half-point races:
MALAYSIA 2009
Britain's Jenson Button won a chaotic Malaysian Grand Prix for his second triumph in two races for Brawn GP. The race was abandoned behind the safety car after 32 of 56 scheduled laps due to a torrential downpour.
AUSTRALIA 1991
The season-ending race in Adelaide was won by Brazilian Ayrton Senna after being stopped on the 14th of 81 laps due to heavy rain. Italian Gianni Morbidelli ended the year with only a half-point and had to wait until 1994 to score a whole one.
MONACO 1984
The race was halted in the 31st of 77 laps due to rain. French great Alain Prost was the winner. He ended up losing the title that year by a half-point to Austrian Niki Lauda, despite having won more races.
AUSTRIA 1975
Stopped in the 29th of 54 laps at the Oesterreichring due to rain. The late Italian Vittorio Brambilla took the only victory of his Formula One career and was so excited that he spun into the barriers after taking the chequered flag.
SPAIN 1975
The race at Barcelona's Montjuich circuit was stopped after 29 of the 75 laps when German Rolf Stommelen's Lola crashed into the crowd and killed five spectators. Italian Lella Lombardi finished sixth, becoming the first woman driver to score - although no woman has scored a full point yet.
-Reuters