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Formula 1 qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos has been delayed until Sunday due to heavy rain.
The session was due to go ahead at 3pm local time (6pm UK) but amid a downpour it was delayed repeatedly over a nearly three-hour period before attempts to run it on Saturday were finally abandoned.
Conditions briefly improved but the track was visibly soaked with plenty of standing water and, after frequent updates from the FIA, the session was finally postponed just after 4.45pm local time (7.45pm UK).
"The decision was taken due to the lack of visibility caused by the level of rain we have experienced in the past few hours. There is a lot of standing water on parts of the circuit which renders conditions unsafe," read the FIA's statement.
🗣️ @SMitchellF1: "It's still raining extremely hard, lots of thunder, and the storm warning likely means the medical helicopter can’t fly with lightning around.
— The Race (@wearetherace) November 2, 2024
This needs to pass before qualifying gets going - likely to be closer to 4pm local time than the original 3pm start.… pic.twitter.com/vsdCHqRo0a
"As much as we would all like to see competition on track, the safety of drivers, team members, volunteers, officials and spectators is our main priority.
"A decision on a start time for qualifying tomorrow morning will be taken as soon as possible."
Saturday’s sprint race went ahead without any rain and was won by Lando Norris after polesitter Oscar Piastri handed the position over to help with Norris’s drivers’ championship pursuit.
Max Verstappen lost a podium and fell to fourth because of a VSC infringement, promoting Charles Leclerc to third instead.
How might the Brazilian GP grid be set now
Qualifying will now take place on Sunday morning with a new schedule to be confirmed.
Currently, there are three support races - the Porsche Sprint Challenge Brazil, Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil, and F4 Brazilian Championship - planned from 8.45am until 11.40am local time.
Usually, such races are moved aside - or cancelled - for a rescheduled F1 session to take priority.
If qualifying cannot be held on Sunday for whatever reason, then the grid will be set using the results of a previous classification from this weekend.
Which session is used will be at the stewards’ discretion. There is no provision in the sporting regulations for the current situation.
The only references to using specific sessions to award driver classifications relates to certain scenarios if a qualifying session has taken place and drivers being unclassified because they exceeded 107% of the fastest time in Q1, failed to set a time, all their laps were deleted, or they were disqualified.
That is not relevant to a weather-postponed qualifying session and as there are more relevant competitive sessions available - qualifying for the sprint or the results of the sprint itself - these are more likely to be used. - Scott Mitchell-Malm
Is it definitely raining out there Kimi? 😅🌧️ pic.twitter.com/O2UP78DZmG
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) November 2, 2024
