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The Brazilian Grand Prix has been red-flagged just before half distance with Esteban Ocon's Alpine set to lead Formula 1 points leader Max Verstappen on the restart.
A heavy rain shower put the already-delayed race under safety car conditions, which soon turned to a red flag as Franco Colapinto lost control of his Williams on the run to the start/finish line.
Colapinto's smashed-up FW46 - the third significant Williams crash of the day with Alex Albon not starting the race because of qualifying damage - triggered the red flag with debris sprawled right across the circuit.
That proved to be dream timing for surprise race leader Ocon, Verstappen and Pierre Gasly's Alpine.
Those three drivers were yet to make a pitstop but will now be able to discharge their heavily worn intermediate tyres under the red flag without losing position.
Verstappen had already made an impressive charge from 17th on the grid, gaining 10 places in the first 10 laps of the 69-lap race.
Initial race leaders George Russell and Lando Norris pitted prior to the safety car for a new set of intermediates while Yuki Tsunoda brought his RB in from third for wet tyres.
Norris passed Russell shortly after their pitstops but was left disappointed when he clocked the red flag would mean a 'free pitstop' for Verstappen and the Alpines.
The restart order should be Ocon, Verstappen, Gasly, Norris, Russell, Tsunoda, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Fernando Alonso and Liam Lawson.
Norris - along with Russell and the two RB drivers - still faces a post-session investigation for a potential infringement at the aborted start.
A rolling start will be used for the restart, which is scheduled to take place at 14.02pm local time.
Nico Hulkenberg was disqualified from the race under the red flag. He was black flagged for his stricken Haas receiving assistance to rejoin the track after spinning off at Turn 1.
