A downpour at the Interlagos circuit has led the FIA to postpone the start of the qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The session was originally due to begin at 3pm local time. However it had not begun over an hour later due to heavy and persistent rain at the Interlagos circuit.The first three sessions of the weekend were held in dry conditions, including the sprint race which started at 11am on Saturday morning. But around an hour before qualifying was due to begin a thunderstorm hit the track, bringing a sustained downpour with it.
After confirming the session would not begin on time, the FIA originally stated it would aim for a revised starting time of 4pm. But although the worst of the conditions eased, sustained rainfall continued at the track and large puddles remained at points around the circuit.
Race director Niels Wittich has toured the track in the Safety Car with sporting director Tim Malyon and driver Bernd Maylander. Following his last inspection at around 4pm Wittich said the track was not ready “at the moment.”
“We have to wait a few minutes to see if the conditions [improve] a little bit,” he told Sky.
Race control repeatedly pushed back the intended starting time in 15-minute increments from 4pm to 5pm. Finally, with light fading, and sunset due to fall at 6:21pm local time in Sao Paulo, they resigned themselves to the inevitable and abandoned efforts to schedule the session today.
The FIA is yet to announce when it will schedule tomorrow’s session. The earliest support race is due to begin at 11:45am local time, but this is likely to be rearranged to accommodate F1. However the weather forecast for Sunday indicates a strong likelihood of further sustained rainfall.
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2024 Brazilian Grand Prix
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Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
2nd November 2024, 19:20
If I told my Boss I couldn’t work because it was raining he would …. well … you know what would happen.
Seriously, I think it is a shame that today’s F1 cars are so precisely designed and regulated that they can no longer be raced in even moderate rain.
Even track surface and wind gusts are causing increasingly disruptive issues now.
Steve (@scbriml)
2nd November 2024, 21:52
@nullapax That wasn’t just “moderate” rain.
Doh
2nd November 2024, 23:19
It’s a combination of things but mainly the current cars are wider and with wider tyres therefore more water is dispersed. Then the ground effect cars increase this. I would assume that aquaplaning is worse with these cars since the tyres are wider and perhaps the extra reliance on the floor for grip also is a problem. Before 2017 they raced plenty in rain
Riccard
2nd November 2024, 23:55
Formula1.com showing qualifying at 10:30am UK // 6:30am EST tomorrow,
Race at 3:30pm UK // 11:30am EST tomorrow.
Race moved slightly earlier in case of more end-of-day rain.
Ogden
3rd November 2024, 12:58
I can absolutely remember the torrents of water being thrown off by the cars, to the point that in close racing, only the guy in front could see anything at all
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd November 2024, 19:37
FIA should just accept that qualifying isn’t going to happen today & reschedule it for tomorrow morning as has been done in Suzuka a few times & Melbourne in 2013.
Mayrton
2nd November 2024, 19:41
Reporter stated as if it doesn’t work out tomorrow either, they will take the FP1 standings as grid. Lando p1, Max p20.
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd November 2024, 19:47
Using the sprint final results as the starting order (taking into account Max’s five-place drop) would be the most logical thing, given it’s the most recent session, which would mean P9 for Max.
Imre (@f1mre)
2nd November 2024, 20:01
Sprint is a separate event. I wouldn’t say it’s more logical than taking FP1 results.
Tommy Scragend
2nd November 2024, 20:15
In the sprint all the cars were trying to do the same thing. As they were in sprint qualifying. So either of those would be a fair way of setting the grid.
In FP1 teams would have been trying out different things. Long runs, short runs, high fuel, low fuel, different tyres. Hamilton, for example, didn’t run the soft tyre at all in FP1.
But of course there’s a clear reason why people are advocating to use the FP1 times, because it conveniently means Verstappen would start at the back, if his five place penalty were to be applied. That would open up a whole new argument – is it right to apply a penalty to a qualifying position that was never even a qualifying position in the first place? No of course it isn’t. That’s why they won’t use the FP1 times.
anon
2nd November 2024, 22:11
Tommy Scragend, the reason why they were talking about possibly using the FP1 times is because the regulations explicitly state that, in the event that a driver is unable to set a time in qualifying and is therefore “unclassified”, then their grid position is allocated “in accordance with the order they were classified in P3 (or, in the case a Sprint Session is scheduled, P1)“.
The FIA have also publicly confirmed during other races where qualifying had to be postponed due to bad weather that, in the event no qualifying session can take place, the grid would be set by the final practice session that could be undertaken before qualifying.
The preferred solution is to rearrange qualifying and hope that they can find a gap in the weather that allows them to carry out a normal qualifying session. However, if that wasn’t possible and they had to revert to using the practice session times, because this race weekend has a sprint race, the only practice times that would be available to set the grid by would be the times from FP1.
Jojo
2nd November 2024, 23:54
They’re only considered unclassified if they didn’t set a qualifying time in either Q1 or SQ1. I think all the drivers set a time in SQ1 so are technically classified. Most likely they will use sprint qualifying results to set the grid. I think they would have used FP1 results for the sprint session if sprint qualy had been cancelled.
The forecast for tomorrow looks like it will be quite bad unfortunately. Could be lucky if they somehow manage to get the race started.
Grapmg
2nd November 2024, 20:10
If qualification doesn’t work out maybe the race is also cancelled. Hope we will see some action but I guess with all the rain we will have a short race with reduced points
Steve (@scbriml)
2nd November 2024, 21:54
No, we’ll see another follow-the-safety-car “race”.
Steve (@scbriml)
2nd November 2024, 22:03
For a normal race weekend my understanding is that if qualy is not possible, the grid is set by PF3 times.
Ben
2nd November 2024, 20:06
Based on this I highly doubt they’ll even be a race tomorrow. The weather looks much tomorrow so I can’t see them fitting both qualifying and the race into a tiny time window.
Smart move would be to take the sprint result for the grid and move the race around to suit the best of the weather.
As this is F1 they’ll set the race time for the most rain and that’ll be game over!
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd November 2024, 20:12
Definitely too little time left before the sunset time to start qualifying today anymore & indeed even the race looks under threat based on the current Sunday afternoon weather forecast, but I’m sure they’ll at the very least get to run a few laps behind the SC to be eligibile for some points distribution.
Grapmg
2nd November 2024, 20:28
That doesn’t count anymore need at least two race laps as far as I understood.
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd November 2024, 20:39
Well, few can mean five, for example.
Grapmg
2nd November 2024, 21:17
Not behind the SC. They need at least two (green) race laps
SteveP
2nd November 2024, 21:50
Race laps Jere, not just SC touring laps.
Smallish rule change arising from that Spa farce
BLS (@brightlampshade)
2nd November 2024, 20:11
I wouldn’t be surprised if all we manage tomorrow is a Q1 to set the grid.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
2nd November 2024, 20:13
Cowards.
Ben
2nd November 2024, 20:20
“Utter woke nonsense”
Dex
2nd November 2024, 21:17
F1 got castrated years ago. They can’t even swear in the heat of the moment anymore, and to race in wet weather… that’s too much to ask for, even when the rain is not as strong.
Haas Khan (@haas918)
2nd November 2024, 20:22
The forecast doesn’t look good for tomorrow as well.
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd November 2024, 20:40
Unfortunately
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
3rd November 2024, 1:10
FORTUNATELY! Something needs to happen for them to fix the cars or the cowards who control procedures to actually make them race.
It should rain every single session of every single race, then they’d do something to race in those conditions!
PeterG
2nd November 2024, 20:24
@red-andy And I bet you would be the first to criticise them for starting if they had started the session & someone had aquaplaned on the straight & been T-boned by a following car that had zero visibility causing drivers to be injured.
I remember the Spa 2021 qualifying when fans were whining about drivers been cowards for wanting a red flag and then many of those same fans criticising the FIA for starting the session when Lando crashed at Eau Rouge.
And 10 years ago at Suzuka you had all the same complaints about the red flag & drivers been cowards for not wanting to race in the rain & then after Bianchi’s crash those same fans were saying the race never should have been started.
It’s just typical fans who have zero idea about anything liking to think they know how drivable conditions are despite been nowhere near the track & never having driven in such conditions.
Maybe it’s just all the new Netflix fans who only like to see carnage?
And for the record I have driven in conditions like this on a club level 30 years ago and it’s utterly terrifying when your doing race speeds with zero visibility in the the spray and where there are deep puddles creating aquaplaning while your driving in a straight line.
And for the inevitable ‘they could just slow down’ well yes but the issue is when visibility is so bad if you slow down and a car behind doesn’t spot it then your risking an airplane crash. Not ignoring the Pironi at Hockenheim ’82 or Senna Adelaide ’89 type situation of cars pulling out to pass a car not been able to see there’s another car alongside going slower for him to run into the back of or over the top of.
But yeah cowards! Give me a break!
Ivan B (@njoydesign)
2nd November 2024, 20:52
I would have totally agreed with your comment if I weren’t here sat watching a wet track with no rain for almost one hour. The argument was that the water was not draining fast enough. I believe a few laps on full wets would have cleared that problem before everyone jumping on inters. FWIW this has been a pattern over the last few years.
SteveP
2nd November 2024, 22:02
Have you ever seen a wet race at Interlagos?
The moment I heard that it was raining heavily, I was mentally picturing all the locations where it pools water and all the areas where small streams run across.
Pre-ground effect cars were bad enough with aquaplaning, current era cars would be horrendous – particularly with the totally rubbish Pirelli wet tyres.
Riccard
2nd November 2024, 20:26
If you’d told me yesterday that Aston Martin would be fastest in a wet qualifying, I’d have been delighted.
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd November 2024, 20:41
Finally FIA resorted to the inevitable.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
2nd November 2024, 20:54
Clearly, this was all part of the plan to benefit the McLarens, since Max excels in wet conditions. Call me the originator of this conspiracy theory!
On a more serious note, the real reason they avoid racing in extreme wet conditions largely comes down to the ineffectiveness of Pirelli’s full-wet tyres, only the intermediates are effective. Pirelli still hasn’t managed to produce a decent full-wet tyre in their 14th season in F1. What a joke ! Plus, the parc fermé rules should be relaxed in wet conditions to allow the mechanics to make rain-specific adjustments to the cars.
Jonathan Parkin
2nd November 2024, 21:34
Before 2003 they even had an Acclimatisation session to prepare for wet weather if necessary. Charlie Whiting didn’t like it but on occasions it was necessary
SteveP
2nd November 2024, 22:13
Delete the “full-wet” from that sentence, and I’m pretty sure no one here will disagree
S
3rd November 2024, 5:06
That is a complete lie.
Visibility is the primary concern in the wet – especially so with these massive cars producing most of their downforce under the floor. They are literally designed to work like a vacuum, sucking up water and throwing it into the air.
F1’s current ‘Full Wet’ tyres are designed for conditions that the cars themselves are no longer considered safe to race in. Producing a tyre that further eliminates the chance of aquaplaning in those conditions simply lifts more water in the air, making visibility even worse.
The joke is the people who continually blame Pirelli, particularly when no other tyre manufacturer is interested in (or potentially even capable of) producing something comparable or better under the current conditions the F1 regs present.
Mars
2nd November 2024, 21:12
FIA and biased British stewards (especially that jealous devil Herbert) deliberately did not start the qualification session as they knew Max was good in rainy conditions. Those biased British mafia don’t even feel the need to hide their hatred for Max anymore. Poor Max and his dear father Jos are all alone against devils.
David West
2nd November 2024, 21:43
Forecast for tomorrow is rain in the morning but showers after 2pm local time, so let’s see what that brings.
Steve (@scbriml)
2nd November 2024, 22:09
This is a parody account, right?
Thanks for the laughs.
SteveP
2nd November 2024, 22:20
Sorry Mars, but @tifoso1989 did a better joke – his just needs a bit of finesse on the Pirelli tyre standard, and it’s near perfect.
Not a bad effort at looking like a conspiracy theory nut-job though.
Maybe if you threw in a “wokerati” reference?
I luv chicken
2nd November 2024, 22:39
People that Herbert hates for sure: MAX, and FERNANDO
Edvaldo
2nd November 2024, 23:18
This situation is happening way too frequently for my taste.
Spa 2021 was a complete farse, and although it was only three years ago, I know it has happened at least twice since then.
Riccard
2nd November 2024, 23:56
Formula1.com showing qualifying at 10:30am UK // 6:30am EST tomorrow,
Race at 3:30pm UK // 11:30am EST tomorrow.
Race moved slightly earlier in case of more end-of-day rain.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
3rd November 2024, 1:14
I’ll echo alonso in different circumstances: embarrassing! Really embarrassing! Bring me back to the 80s and 90s, when drivers drover in these conditions and NO ONE died in the rain!
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
3rd November 2024, 1:14
drove*