The Brazilian Grand Prix stewards will decide how to determine the starting order for Sunday’s race if qualifying cannot go ahead.
Saturday’s grand prix qualifying session has been postponed until Sunday morning due to heavy rain at the Interlagos track. However with another prolonged downpour forecast on Sunday, there is a possibility the qualifying session cannot take place before the grand prix.Formula 1’s course of action should be clearer if at least part of the qualifying session is completed, as precedent exists for this. Bad weather at the 2015 United States Grand Prix prevented Q3 from taking place, so the times from Q1 and Q2 set the grid. F1 therefore does not need to hold an entire qualifying session to set its grid.
If qualifying begins but is abandoned before drivers set any times, a mechanism exists for the stewards to use the times from first practice to decide the grid. The sporting regulations state that “drivers who are unclassified” if they “failed to set a time in Q1” will be “allocated the top positions in accordance with the order they were classified in [first practice].”
On the face of it, this particular case seems unlikely. However note that during first practice for the Canadian Grand Prix earlier this year, part of the session took place while the pit lane exit light was red, meaning no drivers could join the track to take part. Therefore race control has an option open to them if they need to declare a qualifying session has at least started without sending drivers onto the track in unsafe conditions.
Formula 1’s sporting regulations do not specify a course of action if qualifying does not take place. On the face of it, this is surprising, as a qualifying session has already taken place this weekend, for the sprint race. However there is no provision in the rules for it to automatically be used as a fallback in the event the grand prix qualifying session does not happen.
An FIA spokesperson confirmed to RaceFans that, if qualifying cannot go ahead, the stewards will determine which method is used to determine the grid.
This would be a contentious decision for them under any circumstances, and all the more so given the championship situation. If they choose to use the sprint race qualifying results – surely the most logical option – Lando Norris would line up second again and Max Verstappen, after his five-place grid penalty, ninth. Using the first practice session to determine the grid would not go down well at Red Bull as Norris was quickest and Verstappen 15th after abandoning his run on soft tyres, meaning he would start the grand prix from last place.
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EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
3rd November 2024, 4:19
The best solution would have been to have provision for this scenario that could not be contested.
If the stewards are genuinely allowed to choose from more than one option then I see no reason to avoid the one that is best for the championship and the fans. If the option is legitimately permissible, why not?
Tracky
3rd November 2024, 5:52
Imagine the stewards decide to arrange the grid in reverse. The slowest in front grid and the fastest in last grid. LOL!
oweng (@oweng)
3rd November 2024, 8:15
I’m staggered they don’t have a provision in the regulations for setting a race grid on a sprint weekend if qualifying can’t go ahead due to weather! Why wouldnt they have an order of preference for setting a race grid so if each element is ruled out you know what the next is? How hard would that be? At least everyone would know where they stand.
Sprint qualifying results would make the most sense.
uzsjgb (@uzsjgb)
3rd November 2024, 8:24
I always thought the idea silly to take the results of a practice session for the starting grid. What would have happened if they had had to do that in Mexico? If a team “practices” in that session, tries different setups or new parts, why should they be punished in the race? And as far as I am informed, cars do not have to be legal in practice sessions, so it would be theoretically possible to win “pole” with an illegal car.
Frank
3rd November 2024, 8:43
It seems logical to me that they would use the Belgian 2021 qualifying results to determine the grid. And, if necessary, the grand prix.
Frank
3rd November 2024, 8:45
Drivers who did not set a time in that session must start from the pitlane. Teams.are advised to swap in drivers that did qualify..
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
3rd November 2024, 14:38
Ahah, that’s an interesting one, however if you think about it, drivers who had a good quali that time already got rewarded with half points that were basically guaranteed in the race (unless you’re perez and spin off in non-racing conditions!), so we should use some other quali session!
Jere (@jerejj)
3rd November 2024, 8:59
Why not just pull out everyone’s name from a bucket, if nothing else.
Jon
3rd November 2024, 9:00
Having looked at the weather and the inability of ground effects with pirelli tyre to run in the rain i think the race will be cancelled
Michael A.
3rd November 2024, 9:06
Simple, just use the finishing order from the stupid sprint race!
Mayrton
3rd November 2024, 9:45
Christmas seems to have come early this year for Herbert.
Riccard
3rd November 2024, 9:57
This should definitely be established in advance for sprint weekends, rather than asking the stewards to decide between two lineups that have already been determined.
An Sionnach
3rd November 2024, 10:02
Lewis had the answer: just go out!
Riccard
3rd November 2024, 10:07
That was never an option this weekend. Lewis was saying they should develop better wet tyres which make running in yesterday’s conditions possible again.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
3rd November 2024, 10:14
they need 9 or 12 water plows with giant turbine powered hoovers blowing water off the track starting 90 minutes before the session. Just keep running them for 90 minutes and then have the safety car go, then have the cars go within 15 minutes. If the track has inadequate drainage, especially at certain tracks that are always a threat for rain, this should be addressed by the FIA. People pay good money to go see those races, they should give two you know whats about doing right by their paying customers.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
3rd November 2024, 10:39
The picture above is just a pittance that was offered to the paying customers. A few guys trying to push thousands of gallons away. Almost like they are trying to say something about futility and authority.
Mathias
3rd November 2024, 11:32
yeah as usual the rulemakers barely care about what they see as fringe cases