Max Verstappen said he felt as if he was “driving a jet ski” at Interlagos, so wet were the conditions. It looked more like walking on water.
One of the most extraordinary days in recent Formula One history, a day that began at 7.30am with a qualifying session held over from Saturday because of the stormy weather in Sao Paulo, ended with one of the most extraordinary comebacks of all time.
Verstappen’s sublime victory from 17th on the grid at Interlagos was astounding not simply because of the number of places he made up, but because the Dutchman looked as if he was driving in a completely different race to everyone else.
Verstappen won by 19 seconds on a day when everyone else struggled to stay on the track. He set 17 fastest laps in total. Ten of Verstappen’s final 11 laps would have been good enough for fastest lap of the race. His fastest, of 1min 20.472sec, was more than a second quicker than the next-best driver.
This was reminiscent of Ayrton Senna at Donington in 1993, or Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone in 2008. It was that good.
Hamilton passed by three rookies
Hamilton has a reputation as one of the best wet-weather drivers of all time, but the seven-time world champion had a truly chastening day, the sort that will have people asking whether Ferrari have signed a busted flush at 39.
Hamilton’s best drive of the day was actually when he drove Ayrton Senna’s 1990 McLaren around the circuit to the delight of the huge crowds who adore him here. Hamilton crashed out of qualifying in Q1, labelling the car “undriveable”. He then finished 10th in the race itself but had a miserable time of it, being passed by a hat-trick of rookies in Williams’ Franco Colapinto, Haas’ Ollie Bearman and RB’s Liam Lawson (twice), even if he did reclaim some of those places.
“The car’s undriveable mate,” he repeated mid-race to his engineer Pete Bonnington. It may have been, but it did not help Hamilton’s case that his team-mate George Russell was able to put his car second on the grid and then finish fourth. “At least one [Mercedes] car was behaving,” Hamilton said, before adding of his own: “It’s like a plank of wood. There’s no suspension. It’s just bouncing on the tyres, everywhere. Can’t get on the power anywhere… I could happily go take a holiday.”
At least Hamilton did not see his title hopes go down the drain. Lando Norris’ are pretty much dead in the water by this point.
Norris: Verstappen was ‘lucky’
Talk about a momentum shift. McLaren began the day laughing off accusations that they have been filling their tyres with water to aid performance, and it looked as if everything was going swimmingly for Norris’ title charge when the Briton took pole and Verstappen P17 in qualifying.
Instead, after a farcical start which saw Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crash his car on the formation lap and the leading drivers mistakenly drive a second one, Norris tumbled from first to sixth thanks to a combination of driver error and team strategy.
Having been sitting pretty in pole position, Norris ended up losing big points to Verstappen, who started P17. The Dutchman now has a 62-point lead in the drivers’ championship with only 86 available. He just needs to finish ahead of Norris at the next race in Las Vegas to be crowned champion.
He ended the day both despondent and defensive, describing himself as “unlucky” and Verstappen as “lucky” with the timing of the red flags.
The Dutch driver may have been, but there was nothing remotely lucky about the way he drove. It may have killed the title race stone dead, but you could only take your hat off to him.
“My emotions were all over the place, from wanting to destroy the garage to winning the race,” Verstappen said. “The rain came, we stayed out, which was very sketchy, and I had to keep the car on track. But it was undriveable in the conditions. I felt like I was driving a boat, or a jet-ski.
“The win was incredibly important because I was expecting to lose points in the championship. Now, I just want clean races. And I am not thinking about clinching the title in Vegas.
“There was a lot at stake because I had to be aware of the championship so for me this is the best one [victory]. And it is a massive boost for the team because it has been tough.”
Norris’ miserable day was completed when he was handed a 5000-euro fine – along with Russell – for doing a second formation lap despite the start having been aborted.
It was an unbelievable day. At least, for most. Bernie Ecclestone, now 94 but in town with his wife Fabiana who works for the FIA, was asked pre-race who his money was on. “Max,” he replied. Maybe he is still running the show after all.
Norris has only himself to blame
By Tom Cary
Lando Norris’ championship hopes were all but washed away in rainy Brazil as a hat-trick of mistakes and a possible strategy error contributed to the McLaren driver finishing a hugely disappointing sixth at Interlagos having started the race on pole.
Norris described Verstappen’s win as “a bit lucky”, lamenting the timing of red flags mid-race which allowed the Red Bull driver a free change of tyres, a “silly rule” which he said “nobody agreed with”.
But Norris could only have himself to blame for losing the lead to Mercedes’ George Russell off the start line.
He and his team then chose to pit during a safety car period mid-race while others including Verstappen stayed out, a potentially decisive call.
Norris was then passed again by Russell at the restart, and later went off track following another safety car period, losing a further two positions, one of which was given back to him by his team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Norris defended the team’s decision to pit on lap 28, behind Russell, arguing they were just “unlucky” that Williams’ Franco Colapinto then crashed, bringing out red flags.
“It was the right time to box,” he insisted. “It was the right thing. No regrets. Just unlucky. A silly rule that no-one agrees with. But you say that you agree with it when it works for you. Every driver said they wanted it changed. It’s just unfortunate. It’s a rule. You win some; you lose some. It benefited them today. Well done to them.
“I made a couple of mistakes which I own up to. It cost me a couple of positions in the end.”
Asked how he would process the disappointment, which almost certainly ended his title hopes, Norris replied: “Quite easy. I did all I could do today. Max had more pace. If he had started at the front he probably would have lapped us.”
06:38 PM GMT
Stat of the day
Max won after starting P17 on the grid
Only FIVE out of 1,121 previous world championship races have been won from 17th or lower on the grid #F1 #BrazilGP
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 3, 2024
Well, sort of. You’d expect this to be the case, but just shows how rare an occasion today was.
06:37 PM GMT
A reminder of the remaining races
Verstappen needs to have a 52-point lead after Las Vegas to confirm his championship.
November 23, Las Vegas Grand Prix
December 1, Qatar Grand Prix
December 8, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
06:22 PM GMT
I think Verstappen enjoyed this one…
06:15 PM GMT
Updated constructor standings
Red Bull close the gap to the two in front but the biggest movement is from sixth down. Alpine move up from ninth to sixth with that 33-point haul meaning there are just five points between them and RB in eighth. Williams now have an enormous job to claim back the eighth place that they had at the start of the day.
06:11 PM GMT
Updated driver standings – Top 10
Verstappen stretches his lead to 62 points and that, surely, is that. Just 86 points available so Verstappen needs just 24 points to confirm his title over the next three rounds and sprint.
06:05 PM GMT
Verstappen reacts to the first win since June
“We made the right calls, we stayed calm and we were flying. To win here from so far back on the grid… yeah.”
06:04 PM GMT
‘An extraordinary day’
“What an extraordinary day. Having been sitting pretty in pole position, Norris ends up losing big points to Verstappen, who started P17. The Dutchman now has a 62-point lead in the drivers’ championship with only 86 available. If my calculations are correct, and if things stay as they are (a big if given the investigations ongoing), Verstappen just needs to finish ahead of Norris at the next race in Las Vegas to be crowned champion.”
06:03 PM GMT
It means a lot to Verstappen
You know how much he likes not winning. Or at least not having a competitive car.
06:02 PM GMT
What made the difference?
Well, track position certainly helped the top three drivers, none of whom did a ‘proper’ pit stop. That is not to take anything away from their achievements, though. What they did worked. For Verstappen, though, his talent and skills in the wet made the difference.
Verstappen finished 19 seconds ahead of Ocon in the end. Norris finished sixth but unless he takes a penalty greater than 10 seconds for his pit-lane infringement, he will stay there.
05:59 PM GMT
Sao Paulo GP – Classification
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VER
-
OCO
-
GAS
-
RUS
-
LEC
-
NOR
-
TSU
-
PIA
-
LAW
-
HAM
Piastri drops back a place after his 10-second penalty. McLaren only sixth and eighth.
“Simply lovely!” is Verstappen’s response to his first win since June.
05:58 PM GMT
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX
Stunning stuff, really. It did not quite feel inevitable after he moved up to 11th on lap one but a win certainly felt on the cards. Alpine take a double podium and 33 points. That is enormous. Absolutely enormous for the team. They had scored just 16 points all season before that!
05:57 PM GMT
FINAL LAP
What a masterclass in the wet from Verstappen. Simply superb.
05:57 PM GMT
Lap 68 of 69 – Perez still trying to get the final point from Hamilton
If Hamilton gets a penalty he might well end up in 10th anyway. But we wait to see if he and Russell will. Russell, Lawson, Tsunoda and Norris will also be investigated after the race for the start procedure infringment. Things could get worse for Norris.
05:55 PM GMT
Lap 67 of 69 – Verstappen now 17 (SEVENTEEN) seconds ahead of Ocon
This feels like a wetter flashback to spring 2025.
05:54 PM GMT
Lap 66 of 69 – Afraid the action has petered out here
Verstappen cruising to victory and increasing his championship lead significantly making it almost a foregone conclusion. Not many other close battles on the track, either, though Perez is trying to overtake Hamilton.
“I will finish the race for the mechanics. They did a very good job today… but my back is hurting. This bouncing is not normal,” says Fernando Alonso on the radio.
05:52 PM GMT
Lap 65 of 69 – Verstappen leads Ocon by 14.8sec
RB started the race third and fifth but have dropped back here to eighth and ninth currently. Six points is not a bad total, though.
05:50 PM GMT
Lap 64 of 69 – Norris has dropped back from Leclerc
2.8sec the gap now. Russell cannot get past Gasly.
05:49 PM GMT
Lap 63 of 69 – Piastri has a 10-second penalty, remember
For a collision with Liam Lawson at turn one quite a while ago. That would drop him down to eighth, so just one place.
05:48 PM GMT
Lap 62 of 69 – Another fastest lap for Verstappen
13.3sec the lead to Ocon.
05:47 PM GMT
Lap 61 of 69 – One of Verstappen’s greatest drives?
I think so. He will be ending his long winless run and quite easily, too.
05:46 PM GMT
Lap 60 of 69 – Any sign of that heavier rain?
Not really, no. Norris 2.1sec behind Leclerc and you feel destined to stay there for the rest of the race. Verstappen posts another fast lap and takes a 0.8sec out of Ocon behind in second.
Gasly under increasing pressure from Russell for that podium spot. Russell again may end up with a penalty for Mercedes altering his tyre pressure on the grid.
05:44 PM GMT
Verstappen on course for a notable win
“If Verstappen wins this from P17 he would join Kimi Raikkonen (Japan 2005) in third place in the list of ‘wins from the lowest grid position’. John Watson is far and away the leader in this category, winning from P22 at Long Beach in 1983, while Rubens Barrichello, who started P18 at the 2000 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, is in second place.”
05:44 PM GMT
Lap 59 of 69 – This has been a long old race
Plenty of action. Qualifying earlier this morning seems like a lifetime ago. It has been very hard to overtake today. It’s normally easier in the dry.
05:43 PM GMT
Lap 58 of 69 – Verstappen cruising to victory here
Russell is around 1.2sec behind Gasly but lost time on the last lap.
As it stands, without any penalties, Norris would lose 19 points to Verstappen, taking the Dutchman’s championship lead to 63 points…
05:41 PM GMT
Lap 57 of 69 – Top 10 and gaps
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VER
-
OCO +9.6
-
GAS +12.9
-
RUS +14.1
-
LEC +21.6
-
NOR +23.4
-
PIA +25.4
-
TSU +29.5
-
LAW +32.6
-
HAM +33.4
05:40 PM GMT
Lap 56 of 69 – Lawson on the radio
“He drove into the side of me,” he says. Not quite. Verstappen sets the fastest lap and extends his lead to 8.9sec over Esteban Ocon.
05:38 PM GMT
Lap 55 of 69 – Perez and Lawson touch!
Perez tries to go up the inside of turn one but Lawson says nope when they come back to turns two and three.
Perez then drops back a spot to Hamilton and out of the points.
05:37 PM GMT
Lap 54 of 69 – Perez chasing Lawson for ninth
They get close a couple of times at this lap at turn one and turn 10. Hamilton is closing in on them, too.
05:37 PM GMT
Lap 53 of 69 – Norris told that a bit more rain is on the way
Does this matter? Probably not. Norris 1.5sec behind Leclerc. It’s a shame for Norris of course that he looks to be losing a chunk of points to Verstappen here but it’s also a shame for the hopes of having a realistic championship. As it stands Verstappen could well confirm a fourth world championship (in a row) in Las Vegas.
05:35 PM GMT
Lap 52 of 69 – Verstappen has checked out here
0.8sec faster than Ocon on the last lap and nearly seven seconds ahead in total of the Frenchman.
05:34 PM GMT
Lap 51 of 69 – If Norris were to get a five-second penalty…
…for the start procedure infringement, that would currently drop him back to ninth or 10th.
Earlier today, when Verstappen was eliminated, I wrote that “if Verstappen was going to start 17th and he got to choose the track and the conditions, he would probably pick ‘Interlagos’ and ‘raining’.” And so it was.
Piastri locks up and goes wide at the end of the lap, but manages to keep his place ahead of Tsunoda.
05:31 PM GMT
Lap 50 of 69 – Norris not making any impression into Leclerc
He is 1.1sec behind. Lap times at 1:22.2 at the front, Norris at 1:23.2, a second slower. Not sure how, short of Verstappen doing something inexplicable, that this race comes back to Norris in any way.
05:30 PM GMT
Lap 49 of 69 – Verstappen leads Ocon by 4.6sec
The class of the field today. I cannot say I am that surprised.
05:29 PM GMT
Lap 48 of 69 – This could be a bumper afternoon for Alpine
Second and third as it stands and with decent pace in these conditions. They are on for 33 points. They’ve only scored 16 all season!
05:26 PM GMT
Lap 47 of 69 – Top 10
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VER
-
OCO
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GAS
-
RUS
-
LEC
-
NOR
-
PIA
-
TSU
-
LAW
-
PER
05:26 PM GMT
Lap 46 of 69 – Verstappen leads Ocon by three seconds
Piastri moves over for Lando Norris and he is now in sixth. Leclerc the next man up the road and then Russell. Leclerc immediately comes under pressure from Norris, who needs to make rapid progress here. Even so, he’s 11.3sec behind Verstappen.
Leclerc noted for rejoining the track unsafely at turn four. Who would be a steward today?
05:25 PM GMT
Lap 45 of 69 – Norris still has an investigation for the start procedure too
I mean, I never thought that Verstappen would fail to get into the points here, even the upper reaches of them but this is turning into a nightmare afternoon for the Briton.
05:23 PM GMT
Lap 44 of 69 – Verstappen leads Ocon by 1.6sec
Norris has Piastri directly ahead of him. Not sure he will make life too difficult for him. Alonso now 15th and last after spinning.
05:22 PM GMT
Lap 43 of 69 – Norris goes off at the restart!
And Verstappen takes the lead! How quickly things can change in F1. Norris down to seventh from fifth.
Will that be that? Plenty of laps to go and potentially more thrills and spills but, I can’t see Verstappen surrendering the win here.
Hamilton and Bearman are at it… Alonso goes off!
05:20 PM GMT
Lap 42 of 69 – SC in this lap
Can Ocon ace this restart like he did the last?
05:19 PM GMT
Lap 41 of 69 – Norris told to stay off the white lines
I dread to think how many millions of pounds worth of damage has been caused in crashes today.
“There is another band of rain, potential for the end of the race,” is the message to Leclerc.
05:16 PM GMT
Lap 40 of 69 – SC
Here’s the top 10:
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OCO
-
VER
-
GAS
-
RUS
-
NOR
-
LEC
-
PIA
-
TSU
-
HAM
-
ALO
The field has not yet fully bunched up under the SC but it will not be long.
05:14 PM GMT
Lap 39 of 69 – Ocon leads Verstappen by 2.7sec
Norris told that if the weather stays as it does then these tyres will last until the chequered flag.
Sainz has gone into the barriers and that brings out the Safety Car… the Spaniard is out.
Nobody chooses to get a free pit stop.
05:13 PM GMT
Lap 38 of 69 – Yellow flags
I think Bearman has spun again at turn 12/13… he rejoins, though. Not his day, I’m afraid. He has scored points in his first two races for Ferrari and Haas but something remarkable will have to happen if he is to score any today.
05:11 PM GMT
Lap 37 of 69 – Ocon leads Verstappen by 3.4sec
Norris still around 1.9sec behind Russell and in fifth.
05:10 PM GMT
Lap 36 of 69 – Yellow flags
Bearman spins into the wall in the middle of the lap. He manages to slow it down enough so that the damage isn’t terminal but he will have to pit again for a new front wing. Not his first mistake today in a difficult race for the youngster.
Ocon and Verstappen have checked out up front. Gasly is eight seconds behind Ocon, mind you, Ocon is leading by 3.5sec over Verstappen…
05:09 PM GMT
Lap 36 of 69 – Ocon has stretched his lead
2.6sec it is. Gasly not exactly closing him down, though. Norris has more to worry about from Leclerc behind than with Russell ahead, I’m afraid.
05:08 PM GMT
Lap 35 of 69 – Ocon leads Verstappen
There’s a lot of spray out there as they need to establish a dry line again. After spending so long behind Russell, Norris passed him just before the red flag and within six corners he’s behind again… frustrating, as it has been for much of the season, as good as he has been.
05:06 PM GMT
SC in this lap
That has happened a bit sooner. Ocon backs the pack up. There’s a yellow flag because Zhou and Bearman have gone off at the back!
The race resumes…
Ocon leads the field away into turn one and keeps the lead. How long before Verstappen leads? I give it one lap…
Norris runs wide at turn five and then loses the place to Russell in the middle sector! He’s down to fifth. And Leclerc then runs wide and is vulnerable to Leclerc. Cold tyres and a wet track do not make a grippy combination.
Ocon leads Verstappen by 1.7sec at the end of the lap…
05:03 PM GMT
The cars leave the pit lane
I believe the current plan is for a rolling start after a few laps behind the Safety Car.
Here is the top 10:
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OCO
-
VER
-
GAS
-
NOR
-
RUS
-
TSU
-
LEC
-
PIA
-
ALO
-
LAW
Tom Cary writes: “Will Ocon make life hard for Verstappen at the restart? They have history in Brazil of course.”
05:02 PM GMT
It has been a brilliant drive from Verstappen
Luck or no luck.
05:01 PM GMT
Zhou is circulating the track
Because he was a lap behind the field.
04:53 PM GMT
Race to resume at 5.02 GMT
It will be a rolling start. Nico Hulkenberg heads back to the Haas garage after his black flag for this below:
04:52 PM GMT
It was looking so good for Norris
There was some tactical intrigue with some cars stopping and some not but now he is looking at losing points to Verstappen and not gaining them. That said, we are not even at the half-way stage yet… what a day.
04:49 PM GMT
Here is the order under the red flag
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OCO
-
VER
-
GAS
-
NOR
-
RUS
-
TSU
-
LEC
-
PIA
-
ALO
-
LAW
-
HAM
-
BOT
-
SAI
-
PER
-
BEA
-
ZHO
OUT: COL, ALB, STR
DSQ: HUL
Yes, Nico Hulkenberg has been disqualified for receiving outside assistance after crashing and then rejoining.
04:48 PM GMT
Watch: Colapinto’s crash brings out the red flag
04:47 PM GMT
This weekend has been a royal mess
Just shows how difficult it is to drive in tricky conditions. Hard to be too critical of anyone out there bar Lance Stroll.
Russell was furious as the red flag was called.
“F—! I said it! Should have stayed out!” he says. Same goes for Norris.
It’s such a complicated picture, though, with so many variables and it is easy to be wise in hindsight.
04:44 PM GMT
Hulkenberg noted…
For continuing on the track after receiving assistance. By the way Mercedes are also being investigated:
“On the grid and when the race start was aborted, between the 10 minutes and the 5 minutes signal, on car numbers 63 and 44, the tyre pressures were adjusted (pressure released) with wheels already fitted to the car.”
04:43 PM GMT
The cars have returned to the pit lane
Norris asks – or rather makes the point – that all the cars can change tyres now. “Yes they can,” comes the reply. Have McLaren made an error here? I think so, but is it a forgivable one? Probably. Could they have stayed out? Probably. They pitted under the VSC when they though it was a cheap pit stop but it ended up not being.
I do think the rule that cars can change their tyres under a red flag is absolutely ridiculous and should be discarded next year.
04:40 PM GMT
RED FLAG
Colapinto had just stopped for fresh tyres and lost it at the final corner. It’s yet more significant damage for the Williams guys.
04:39 PM GMT
Lap 32 of 69 – RED FLAG
The rain has eased a little. But Franco Colapinto has gone into the wall!
This is surely a red flag. Confirmed!
That means the top three of Ocon, Verstappen and Gasly will get to change their tyres free of charge here when the race stops. That is big when it comes to the race result and indeed the championship.
Colapinto is getting out of his car.
04:36 PM GMT
Lap 31 of 69 – Top 10 under the SC
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OCO
-
VER
-
GAS
-
NOR
-
RUS
-
TSU
-
LEC
-
PIA
-
ALO
-
LAW
Italics indicates drivers who have not stopped, bold indicates drivers on full wet tyres.
04:35 PM GMT
Lap 30 of 69 – Norris finally gets Russell
He moves up into fourth. Russell going very slowly on the second straight.
And the conditions are so bad that they have brought out the Safety Car. What does that mean for the top three who have not yet stopped? They all stay out. It would be a cheap pit stop but could Ocon get out again? He decides to stay out in the lead.
04:33 PM GMT
Lap 29 of 69 – 10-second penalty for Piastri
For causing a collision. Not sure what collision that was, I missed it. It’s been a busy race. Tsunoda, Lawson and Perez are the only cars out there on the full wets and I think that might be the right decision.
Ocon leads and is doing very well. His last lap was five seconds faster than Verstappen. OK….
04:32 PM GMT
Lap 28 of 69 – VSC
Somehow Nico Hulkenberg gets going again and the VSC ends. In come Russell and Norris does as well. This looks like full wet conditions now. Surely? Russell and Norris try to get a cheap pit stop under the VSC but it ends and they do not get as much as they might have.
Visibility is so poor out there now…
Ocon now leads Verstappen and Gasly. None of whom have stopped.
04:29 PM GMT
Lap 27 of 69 – It’s quite heavy out there now
Norris is right behind Russell and is gaining, gaining and gaining. Leclerc has pitted for fresh tyres. Hulkenberg has spun at turn one and looks beached.
McLaren decide not to bring Norris in… as the rain gets heavier and heavier…. it’s a virtual safety car. Can Verstappen pit? No, he cannot. He has passed the pit lane. Piastri comes in.
04:27 PM GMT
Lap 26 of 69 – Lawson runs off
And he drops down into ninth. Still in the points. Norris now gaining on Russell and has made up a second or so inthe last few laps since Leclerc’s pit stop.
Norris is closer… but not close enough to Russell to think about a move.
04:26 PM GMT
Lap 25 of 69 – Fresh intermediates for Leclerc
Is that the right call? Norris is now within 0.5sec of Russell and asks his team to think about pitting to overtake Russell, as it were. That pit stop for Leclerc has moved Verstappen up to fifth, though.
Norris wants to pit because of the rain. He is told this tyre should be OK for a while and that they would prefer to stay out. “Okay,” Norris replies.
04:25 PM GMT
Lap 24 of 69 – Top 10 and gaps as it stands
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RUS
-
NOR +0.8
-
TSU +11.9
-
OCO +12.4
-
LEC +13.4
-
VER +14.1
-
LAW +18.8
-
PIA +19.5
-
GAS +21.6
-
ALO +23.0
The rain is getting heavier out there now. These ‘slicktermediates’ will not be much use soon…
In comes Leclerc. For fresh intermediates? Or wets?
04:23 PM GMT
Lap 23 of 69 – It is getting darker…
Verstappen now 14 seconds behind leader Russell, so this is costing him. Tsunoda in third now under huge pressure from Ocon behind. Leclerc and Verstappen in that battle, too.
04:22 PM GMT
Lap 22 of 69 – Verstappen tries a move on Leclerc
At turn one, but Leclerc is wise to it. He tries one later on the lap but that doesn’t work either. He complains about being squeezed onto the white line. He gets a snap of oversteer in the middle sector and it costs him about half a second, I reckon.
Confirmation that the race is in fact a 69-lap one, not a 70-lap one.
04:21 PM GMT
Lap 21 of 70 – Norris drops back again
1.7sec the gap to leader Russell now. Verstappen stuck behind Leclerc which is good news for Norris. Russell does set the fastest middle sector of the race as he extends his lead further.
04:19 PM GMT
Lap 20 of 70 – Hamilton on the radio
“The car’s not driveable, mate,” he says. A friend of mine just texted me to call him “the Mercedes’ Perez”. Harsh… but on today’s performance correct, I’m afraid.
04:18 PM GMT
Lap 19 of 70 – Russell leads Norris by one second
Hamilton loses positions, now down to 15th. A bad, bad weekend for him here. Verstappen with the fastest final sector. Norris told that these intermediate tyres will become ‘slicktermediate’ (in between intermediate and slick tyres due to wear) in six or seven laps and that they need to get the next band of heavier rain and then make a decision.
04:16 PM GMT
Lap 18 of 70 – This is the first time that Verstappen has been held up really
He has dropped to 11.5sec behind Russell, though still has decent pace. Isn’t exactly losing bags of time to the leaders. Norris is back within a second of Norris at the end of this lap.
Heavier rain expected in the next 15 minutes, I believe.
04:14 PM GMT
Lap 17 of 70 – Norris has dropped back
He has complained about being slow on the straight. Norris lost half a second to Russell that lap. Not sure why. Verstappen harrying Leclerc but cannot really create much of a chance for an overtake yet.
04:13 PM GMT
Lap 16 of 70 – Is Ocon holding up Leclerc?
Verstappen all over the back of the Ferrari. The Ferrari all over the back of the Alpine.
04:12 PM GMT
Lap 15 of 70 – Russell leads Norris by 0.7sec
Verstappen is 10.7sec behind Russell in the lead.
04:09 PM GMT
Lap 14 of 70 – Top 10 and gaps
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RUS
-
NOR +0.9
-
TSU +8.0
-
OCO +8.7
-
LEC +9.5
-
VER +10.5
-
LAW +13.8
-
PIA +14.5
-
ALO +16.6
-
GAS +19.5
04:08 PM GMT
Lap 13 of 70 – Norris, Russell etc will be investigated after the race
Great…
04:08 PM GMT
Lap 12 of 70 – Colapinto gets Hamilton at turn one
Great move! Hamilton was getting up to speed again but that was a clean, decisive move from the Argentine who is roundly cheered. Verstappen now eating chunks of time out of Leclerc. He’s driving a different race to the others, almost.
04:06 PM GMT
Lap 11 of 70 – Russell leads Norris by one second
Verstappen only 10.1sec behind Norris in second. Liam Lawson is the next man up the road. I am not sure he will provide too much resistance and indeed he doesn’t, almost letting Verstappen through at a spot that isn’t usually an overtaking spot. Verstappen has some clear air before Leclerc up the road in fifth.
Yellow flags. Hamilton has gone off and rejoins in 12th.
04:04 PM GMT
Lap 10 of 70 – Verstappen gets Piastri at turn one
Not sure what Piastri was doing there, to be honest. He left the door wide open and Verstappen took the opportunity. Yes, he was a long way back but not that far.
04:03 PM GMT
Lap 9 of 70 – Verstappen too far back to try a move this time
Bearman gets a penalty for causing a collision. 10 seconds. Will Verstappen treat the McLaren of Piastri like the hind end of a donkey? I think he will be wary. Whatever Piastri can do to hold up Norris will help, though.
Hamilton on the radio: “The ride is really bad, car bouncing so much,” he says.
04:02 PM GMT
Lap 8 of 70 – Norris not really making further inroads
The gap is around one second to Russell, the race leader. Verstappen is now within a second of Piastri and takes out 0.4sec from him in the first sector alone. I think he will get him at turn one this next lap.
04:00 PM GMT
Lap 7 of 70 – Verstappen flying
He has just set the fastest lap of the race. Piastri needs to drive a wide McLaren here.
03:59 PM GMT
Lap 6 of 70 – Norris very close to Russell now
He has Tsunoda 3.3sec behind. Verstappen has overtaken Alonso for eighth and has Oscar Piastri ahead of him. Russell, Tsunoda, Lawson and Norris noted for that starting procedure infringement in total.
03:57 PM GMT
Lap 5 of 70 – Verstappen up into ninth!
He gets Gasly at turn one… Norris is within a second of Russell now. Is Verstappen in contention for the victory here? It is early but I think he might be. He is only 10.8sec behind Norris as it stands. Mind you, that will grow. Still, these conditions give him the best chance of making up time quickly.
03:56 PM GMT
Lap 4 of 70 – Norris closing in
Not enormously but he sets the fastest lap of the race and the gap is at 1.4sec to Russell ahead.
03:55 PM GMT
Lap 3 of 70 – Sainz reports heavy rain…
…in the final sector of the lap. Russell told to cool his tyres but the rain will do that if it arrives in decent quanitity.
Here’s the top 10:
-
RUS
-
NOR
-
TSU
-
OCO
-
LEC
-
LAW
-
PIA
-
ALO
-
GAS
-
VER
03:53 PM GMT
Lap 2 of 70 – Verstappen gets Hamilton for 10th!
He does it a turn one on the inside and does it easily. Next up for Verstappen is his former team-mate Gasly. Hamilton has very little confidence in that Mercedes it seems. Russell stretches his lead to nearly two seconds over Norris.
03:52 PM GMT
THE 2024 SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX IS GO!
We finally get going in Sao Paulo!
Russell makes the better start and takes the lead! Norris quite tentative there but no point trying to be a hero on lap one. Verstappen is already up to 11th! He is charging through the field with Hamilton ahead of him. Hamilton in 10th. I’m looking forward to this battle.
Perez spins at the back…
Russell leads by 1.2sec at the end of the first lap.
03:49 PM GMT
Right, off we go again
A third formation lap. Is rain incoming? It’s dry at the moment but there is a dark rain cloud bursting in the distance. What a chaotic and entertaining weekend this has been. I’ve loved it. And we haven’t even started the race…
03:46 PM GMT
Plenty of other drivers did what Norris did
Even though Norris was the instigator. Will they been investigated? And what would Norris’s penalty be? Anyway, we should be able to restart the race soon with another formation lap. I think that means the race distance will be reduced by a couple of laps.
03:39 PM GMT
Oh dear, Norris has been noted by the stewards here
For a starting procedure infringement. I think he should have just stayed on the grid until the lights went green. This means the race will likely be affected by the rain a little sooner than we thought.
03:38 PM GMT
They are going back to the 10-minute grid procedure
It could have been the case that they could have started under the safety car. Red Bull seem to think that Norris and others made a mistake by doing another formation lap once the start was aborted rather than waiting on the grid.
Formation lap will start at 3.47pm GMT. Is Norris in trouble here?
Potential problems for Lando Norris 👀
Race Control called for an “Aborted Start” following Stroll’s crash during the first formation lap which means that Norris and everyone else behind should have stayed put on the grid#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/gDdxxha6eH
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 3, 2024
03:36 PM GMT
Some of the cars have remained on the grid
Some confusion on the grid as to what the correct procedure is. Stroll’s car is still in the run-off area but is out of the gravel. Not really sure what is happening here nor what should have happened. Verstappen says Colapinto ended up parking into the wrong grid slot.
03:35 PM GMT
That is appalling from Stroll
Spun it at turn four, then managed to get going but beached the car in the gravel trying to get it back on the black stuff. The start procedure has been aborted. They will go around again and then take their positions again…
I bet the Aston Martin mechanics are wondering why they bothered fixing his car.
03:32 PM GMT
They are away on the formation lap
Lance Stroll has spun at turn four… has he damaged his car? Yes, he has. He lost the rear end at turn four and lost a bit of his front wing.
Will they abort the start? Oh, hang on. Stroll has pulled away and has ended up in the gravel somehow. Surely that has to be an aborted start!
03:30 PM GMT
Horner speaks to Perez on the grid
“Christian Horner giving some last minute words of advice to Sergio Perez. Couldn’t hear it all but something about needing to help Max out today. Lots of rumours about his seat for next year. Liam Lawson an obvious candidate but Colapinto definitely in the frame.
“Would sell a lot of cans of Red Bull in South America. Think Red Bull would want to sign him permanently as opposed to a loan deal which seems to be Williams’ preference. Apparently Briatore has offered to take him to Alpine on loan.”
03:30 PM GMT
We are nearly ready to get going with the formation lap
Title-chasing Norris is in the best possible position. Everyone on the intermediate tyres but with no rain for a little while and perhaps none for 20 minutes or so, how long will that last?
03:27 PM GMT
Final starting grid
2. RUS 1. NOR
4. OCO 3. TSU
6. LEC 5. LAW
8. PIA 7. [EMPTY]
10. STR 9. ALO
12. PER 11. BOT
14. HAM 13. GAS
16. COL 15. BEA
18. HUL 17. VER
19. ZHO
PIT LANE: SAI
So Verstappen in effect gains only one place, from Albon not taking the start. Albon’s grid slot is blank.
03:23 PM GMT
Another weather update
1520GMT #F1 #BBCF1 FIA official risk of rain is 100% for this event. Rain ETA still around 1250 local; mostly light at least initially
— Ian Fergusson (@fergieweather) November 3, 2024
03:19 PM GMT
All smiles on Piastri’s team
“Just had a chat with one of Oscar Piastri’s pit crew. He joked that they were just preparing to fill the tyres with coke.”
03:14 PM GMT
‘A tough one’ for Albon
Today is a tough one to swallow when qualifying was coming along nicely. We don’t know what caused the crash but we’ll look into it, I feel for everyone in the garage, this was a race where anything could happen and I felt we could have done something great.
— Alex Albon (@alex_albon) November 3, 2024
03:11 PM GMT
Current constructor standings
03:08 PM GMT
It’s dry for now
“Warm and sunny on the grid. Track drying. George Russell’s crew are taking down the awning which was over his car. Lando Norris’ is still up for now.”
03:06 PM GMT
Qualifying head to heads in each team
03:02 PM GMT
Current driver standings
If they finish where they start then Norris will reduce Verstappen’s advantage to 19 points, if not 18 if he bags the fastest lap. That woukd be quite something. A lot of racing will happen between now and then, though.
02:57 PM GMT
The pit lane is open
Colapinto is out there and so is Alonso. I think Stroll is too.
02:54 PM GMT
News: Verstappen will start 17th because of his penalty
I am not sure whether this mean he has the grid slot 17, or whether he will be 17th of all the runners. I guess this implies that if he moves up from 17th, having qualified 12th, then he will not have served his full grid penalty.
02:44 PM GMT
Looks like the rain has started at Interlagos again
Umbrellas out in the pit lane. It could be on and off and light and heavy between now and when the race finishes. Either way this should be a very entertaining race.
02:39 PM GMT
So, of those cars that crashed in qualifying…
…Albon will not race, Sainz starts from the pit lane and Colapinto will race. Just the two Aston Martins we wait to hear back on, then. Alonso’s crash (below) looked the more significant of the two but you never can tell.
02:31 PM GMT
Confirmed: Albon will not race
Williams have withdrawn his car from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
A statement reads:
“Unfortunately, after assessing the extensive damage sustained to Alex Albon’s car, the required repairs could not be completed in the short window of time between qualifying and the race. The team is therefore forced to withdraw Alex’s car for the remainder of the Grand Prix. Franco Colapinto will compete in this afternoon’s Grand Prix.”
A shame but this sort of thing was always a risk. Not the first expensive crash the team have had this year, either.
02:27 PM GMT
More from Verstappen’s angry interview earlier today
Having looked at Sky Sports F1’s analysis I am not sure it would have made a great deal of difference. The issue was that Stroll was attempting to get his car going again which means there was never going to be a straight red. By the time that it was clear he could not, there was not enough time.
02:22 PM GMT
Sainz to start from the pit lane
Right, that’s another place Verstappen moves up. Looking likely to be 15th at worst, then.
02:17 PM GMT
It doesn’t look good for Albon’s hopes of racing
Furious work going on down at Williams on Colapinto’s side of the garage. On Albon’s side, all quiet with gearbox not yet attached to car. Barring a minor miracle I’d suggest the driver was correct in his analysis that he would not be racing today.
— Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) November 3, 2024
He did qualify in seventh. Williams are in a battle with Alpine for eighth in the standings and have Ocon starting fourth and Gasly 15th. RB are also in a fight with Haas above them, 10 points in it. Haas are starting well down but RB start third and fifth. This is a good opportunity for them to level the points.
02:11 PM GMT
Weather update at Interlagos
It actually looks not to be raining in the pit lane as the Sky Sports F1 team do not have umbrellas out.
02:05 PM GMT
Hamilton in Senna’s McLaren MP4/5B
Great scenes at Interlagos in the last hour or so as Lewis Hamilton circulated the track in Ayrton Senna’s 1990 championship-winning McLaren. He was due to take to the track yesterday but the weather had the last say. Not so today.
01:59 PM GMT
Qualifying times
-
Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1min 23.405secs
-
George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:23.578
-
Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) RB 1:24.111
-
Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine 1:24.475
-
Liam Lawson (Nzl) RB 1:24.484
-
Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:24.525
-
Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1:24.657
-
Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1:24.686
-
Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin 1:28.998
-
Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin No Time Set
-
Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Kick Sauber 1:26.472
-
Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:27.771
-
Sergio Perez (Mex) Red Bull 1:28.158
-
Carlos Sainz Jr (Spa) Ferrari 1:29.406
-
Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine 1:29.614
-
Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:31.150
-
Oliver Bearman (Gbr) Haas F1 1:31.229
-
Franco Colapinto (Arg) Williams 1:31.270
-
Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Haas F1 1:31.623
-
Guanyu Zhou (Chn) Kick Sauber 1:32.263
01:52 PM GMT
News: Albon says he will not race
He was involved in a heavy crash in Q2 as he was provisionally on the front row. Of the crashes that happened in qualifying his looked like it caused the most damage. However, his Williams team have not yet confirmed that he will not be taking part.
Following Alex and Franco’s separate incidents during the wet Qualifying session here in São Paulo, both cars have extensive damage, which is being assessed. We have an incredible team behind us working tirelessly, with the aim of getting both cars repaired to race in the Grand… pic.twitter.com/Skwnm1aeWq
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) November 3, 2024
01:49 PM GMT
Report: Norris on pole in chaotic crash-strewn qualifying
Lando Norris will have a golden opportunity to eat into his 44-point deficit to Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship later today, with the McLaren driver starting what promises to be a wet and wild Brazilian Grand Prix from pole and his title rival down in 17th place on the grid.
A dramatic, crash-strewn, rain-soaked qualifying session – which began at 7.30am local time after torrential rain at Interlagos forced an overnight postponement – ended in bitter frustration for Verstappen. Red Bull’s triple world champion was unable to complete his final flying lap in Q2 after a prang involving Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll brought out red flags with just seconds remaining.
Verstappen was lying 10th at the time. Combined with a five-place grid penalty for a switch of internal combustion engine earlier in the weekend, it means he will line up 17th for this afternoon’s grand prix, although he could yet rise a few places given the number of teams making last-minute repairs to their cars.
Either way, he was furious afterwards, saying it was “bulls—” that it had taken “30-40 seconds” for the red flags to come out, time which might have allowed him to get another lap in.
You could see what his early exit meant to everyone at Red Bull, Verstappen banging his steering wheel in frustration, his father Jos Verstappen looking apoplectic and his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase holding his head in his hands on the pit wall.
Verstappen should have plenty of opportunities to overtake in the race. Interlagos is one of the easier tracks at which to pass. But it is also one of the most dangerous, particularly in the wet, with little visibility and lots of nervous drivers.
Qualifying was absolute carnage. There were five crashes in total, bringing out five red flags, a new Formula One record Norris ended up taking pole, just ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, but the 24 year-old also endured some nervous moments.
He only just scraped through to Q2 after an earlier crash involving Williams’ up-and-coming star Franco Colapinto caused a delay. By the time the drivers were sent back out, the rain had got heavier, leading to some nervous moments for those in the drop zone. That included both Mercedes drivers and, for a time, Norris.
The McLaren driver just about squeaked home in 15th, one place above Hamilton, who looked to be suffering with confidence issues as he went over two seconds slower than his team mate Russell in the same conditions.
Afterwards, Hamilton called the car “undriveable” but for a man once known as the king of wet weather conditions, this result will have felt mortifying. It was Hamilton’s second Q1 exit in three races and he now trails his team mate 16-5 in qualifying this season.
The fact that Russell went on to take second on the grid will only compound Hamilton’s frustration. It is Norris and Verstappen, though, on whom all eyes will be concentrated, on what could prove to be a defining day in the title race.
12:39 PM GMT
A reminder that the race is due to start at 3.30pm GMT
So just under three hours for those teams to make those repairs. I would be surprised if they all make it to the grid, especially Albon. We will fire up the blog again in around 90 minutes or so and bring you any updates from that. This could be a race for the ages.
12:32 PM GMT
So, a recap on the teams with significant repairs before the race
Aston Martin: Stroll and Alonso
Williams: Albon and Colapinto
Ferrari: Sainz
Only Colapinto is behind Verstappen’s provisional grid slot of 17th so there’s a good chance he will move up one way or another.
12:29 PM GMT
More from Horner
“Our focus now is on the race. What’s happened happened. These things are on a knife’s edge. Lando was nearly out in Q1 and has done a good job in the end there in Q3. At least we’ve got two cars in one piece in the garage. There’s a lot of teams that have got a [lot of work to do]. Let’s hope we get a race. There’s still a lot that can happen, the day’s not over yet.”
12:26 PM GMT
Christian Horner speaks to Sky Sports F1
“It’s hugely frustrating. A session like that there’s a huge amount going on. Don’t understand why it took so long for the red flag to come out… 40 seconds it took to throw the red flag. It’s the second day in a row that we’ve had very late calls. The other red flags were all instantaneous. Very, very harsh but it is what it is. We will have to try to fight back this afternoon.
“All you’ve gt to do is focus on the safety. It’s not about cars finishing laps or not. As soon as you have an accident like that [you have to put out the red flag]. Lance Stroll wasn’t trying to get that car going again, it was screwed! It was in the middle of the track there at turn three, that’s a red flag. Unfortunately we’ve fallen on the wrong side of it today, but it’s a tough one.”
12:22 PM GMT
Tsunoda speaks after his best-ever qualifying
“It was very tricky. Certainly I enjoyed it. I think we had a good pace from straight away.. had a couple of mistakes but had a luck as well. I think as a team, including Liam as well, we did a good job. This track especially is one of the trickiest tracks. Once you build confidence and try to push a bit you have massive consequences as we saw today. I felt much better than yesterday, the car felt good. I think we had good pace in the race as well.”
12:21 PM GMT
Russell speaks after his front row
“Really pleased to be lining up P2. I loved it. It reminded me of the karting days, waking up and having breakfast in your race suit and just going out there and driving. It was a great session but let’s see what we can do in the race.”
12:19 PM GMT
A smiley Norris speaks after his eighth career pole
“It was a lot going on today. But super, super happy because I was struggling a lot at the beginning of qualifying. I was not comfortable at all. I worked at it a lot in qualifying. A little surprised to be on pole but some nice laps, it felt good in the end. It felt good for us.
“You are always trying to find that next little bit. You saw how many people were going off and crashing. It’s easy to do something badly… end up in the wall.”
12:17 PM GMT
Third and fifth for RB
That could be crucial in their fight with Haas ahead in the constructors’… Haas qualified down in 17th and 19th.
12:15 PM GMT
Q3 – Classification
-
NOR 1:23.405
-
RUS +0.173
-
TSU +0.706
-
OCO +1.070
-
LAW +1.079
-
LEC +1.120
-
ALB +1.252
-
PIA +1.281
-
ALO +5.593
-
STR (NO TIME)
12:15 PM GMT
LANDO NORRIS TAKES POLE FOR THE SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX!
One hour and 44 minutes after the session began we have a pole sitter! It’s Lando Norris again and this is an enormous boost for his championship hopes with Verstappen down the grid.
Russell second, Tsunoda third and Ocon fourth.
12:14 PM GMT
Q3 – Norris improving again
Ocon goes third to split the RBs! Norris improves by 0.687sec…. and stays fastest.
Can Russell beat it? No! Second!
Leclerc only sixth! He had to lift off after Piastri went off.
Piastri will be eighth… he aborts his final lap.
12:13 PM GMT
Q3 – Norris improves by 0.066sec
Not massively but this next lap will be crucial. Piastri doesn’t threaten the front row, he doesn’t improve. He has another chance but blows that by locking up heavily at turn one! He does well to keep it out of the barriers but will be third at best…
Lawson improves to the front row! Will he stay there? No! Tsunoda beats him and narrowly misses out on pole.
12:11 PM GMT
Q3 – First hot laps under way
Ocon locks up at turn one and this lap will not be an improvement. Norris does his best first sector time. Most drivers will get a chance to do two hot laps. The two RBs and Russell will have only one lap.
Norris was warned about keeping it out of the barriers if conditions were worse. They do not seem to be… the track is improving judging by the timing screens. Norris up on his previous best lap…
12:10 PM GMT
Q3 resumes
Just a few minutes left on the clock. Can anyone beat Norris? Can everyone keep it on the black stuff and out of the barriers?
I don’t think the conditions have been treacherous but this is a track that promotes mistakes and the barriers are close in at plenty of the corners.
12:05 PM GMT
Session to resume at 12.08pm GMT
Only seven cars will be able to take part… will they all make it to the end of the session?
12:04 PM GMT
Watch: Albon crashes at turn one
No word on a restart yet.
12:04 PM GMT
Three minutes and 31 seconds remain
So plenty of time for more laps. What could have been a front-row start for Williams… well, who knows what it is going to be now?
12:01 PM GMT
Q3 – I cannot see that Verstappen will be starting 17th
All of these crashes of drivers ahead of him… there may well be some penalties and some drivers simply not able to take to the grid.
Albon says he’s OK.
12:00 PM GMT
Q3 – RED FLAGS
The medical car is at the scene of the crash and Albon is getting out of the car quite gingerly. He lost the rear end under braking at turn one.
“Did the brakes fail?” he says. The rears locked and into the barriers he went…
11:59 AM GMT
Q3 – Yellow flags and now a red flag!
Tsunoda has stopped at turn four but eventually gets going… Norris’s first lap is about a second off his previous best. Leclerc posted a good sector one but nearly lost the rear end.
Albon has crashed at the start of the lap! Turn one in fact? Another big crash and that is going to be a nightmare for the Williams mechanics. He was on for a front row start. Will he even be able to take part?
It’s another red flag…
11:57 AM GMT
Q3 – Plenty of space on track
Eight cars out there after the crashes of Stroll in Q2 but finished 10th and Alonso, in Q3.
Russell runs off the track at turn five. Piastri has spun. Perhaps taking a little while for the tyres to reach temperature again even though it hasn’t rained since the red flag came out.
11:55 AM GMT
Q3 resumes!
Just under seven minutes to go and George Russell leads them away. Can anyone dislodge Norris in this time?
11:53 AM GMT
‘No rain expected for the remainder of the session’
That is the message to Lando Norris. We are going to restart Q3 in 90 seconds.
11:51 AM GMT
This is F1 at its best
If you don’t like this then you don’t like F1.
Q3 will resume in just under three minutes.
11:50 AM GMT
There are 6min59sec on the clock
So a good amount of time for several laps when we resume. However, the conditions might not help drivers trying to improve.
Albon on for a front-row start here…
11:46 AM GMT
Q2 – Order under the red flag
-
NOR 1:24.158
-
ALB +0.499
-
PIA +0.528
-
OCO +0.927
-
RUS +1.527
-
LEC +1.860
-
TSU +1.878
-
LAW +4.193
-
ALO +4.840
-
STR (NO TIME)
Alonso spun at Mergulho and in fact went in rear right first before smashing the front. That could be a gearbox change. This grid is going to be a mess, I feel.
11:44 AM GMT
Q2 – RED FLAG
That’s two Aston Martins who have binned it in qualifying. Damage to the front of Alonso and the rear of Stroll’s car. With all these crashes Verstappen might well end up starting a few places higher in practice if some of these cars cannot be repaired in time.
11:43 AM GMT
Q2 – Russell gets second… somehow
Ocon on his second lap goes fastest but can Piastri beat that? He can, by four-tenths. Over to you Lando… Albon then goes fastest but Norris beats that by half a second.
Yellow flags again… red flag in fact. Alonso has stopped and is in the wall!
11:41 AM GMT
Q2 – Ocon crosses the line fastest
The two McLarens are coming up next. Piastri with a 1:26.099. Norris beats that by nearly half a second. Good stuff but plenty of drivers left to go. Lawson fourth, Alonso fifth. Russell struggling in the middle sector on intermediates.
Tsunoda splits the McLarens!
11:40 AM GMT
Q3 has begun
10 minutes, 10 drivers and one man on pole.
11:39 AM GMT
Verstappen is unhappy
“It’s just the car hits the wall it needs to be straight red. I don’t understand why they need to wait 30, 40 seconds. Honestly, I’ll let it go. It’s so stupid anyway to talk about – it’s ridiculous.”
11:37 AM GMT
Piastri on the radio to his team
“I think if it keeps raining like this we should just stay out,” he says.
11:35 AM GMT
If Verstappen was going to start 17th…
…and he got to choose the track and the conditions, he would probably pick “Interlagos” and “raining”. Still, back there can be a very tricky place to be in tough conditions with very low visibility.
Of course, Norris might end up starting in 10th anyway. But let’s wait and see.
11:32 AM GMT
Excrutiating for Hamilton
“That must have felt excruciating for Lewis Hamilton exiting in Q1 for the second time in three races. Hamilton is rated as one of the greatest wet weather drivers in history. He called the car ‘undriveable’ afterwards but Russell managed to go 2sec quicker in the same car/conditions.”
11:30 AM GMT
Q2 – Classification
-
NOR 1:24.844
-
ALO +0.191
-
PIA +0.335
-
LAW +0.810
-
ALB +1.045
-
LEC +1.253
-
OCO +1.362
-
RUS +1.463
-
STR +1.490
-
TSU +1.620
ELIMINATED: -
BOT
-
VER
-
PER
-
SAI
-
GAS
11:29 AM GMT
Pained faces in the Red Bull garages and pit wall
Understandable. Verstappen didn’t seem to be improving but that was probably because he had to back off because of Stroll’s crash in any case. Stroll, despite that crash, has made it through to Q3 but will take no further part in it. I don’t think the repair job on the Aston Martin is as big as Ferrari’s.
11:27 AM GMT
Q2 – RED FLAG!
This could be big for the championship!
Stroll cannot get going again! Verstappen is out!
12th place and he will start the race in 17th! Norris is into the top 10.
11:25 AM GMT
Q2 – Verstappen crosses the line
But he doesn’t improve. We have double waved yellows as Lance Stroll has gone off… Verstappen is in 11th. If this is red flagged now then he will be out… no signs of a red flag yet though…
Both Red Bulls in the drop zone, in fact…
Norris goes fastest!
11:24 AM GMT
Q2 – Norris crosses the line in third
1.2sec off Piastri’s pace. Piastri’s lap was set on his second lap on intermediates. Albon can’t beat Norris’s time, nor can Tsunoda. That is good news for Norris. Alonso goes fastest of anyone, beating Piastri by 0.144sec. Bottas into sixth. He’s driving well at the moment.
Two minutes remain…
11:23 AM GMT
Q2 – Norris begins his first hot lap
He is improving already on his previous time as he heads into turn four. A couple of tenths up on Sainz who is the 10th place benchmark. This looks fairly tidy and steady. The rain does not appear to have worsened, so I think everyone is likely to be improving here.
11:21 AM GMT
Q2 resumes – Lando Norris leads the drivers away
A very important few laps for him here. Conflicting reports from the teams on whether the rain will intensify or ease through the session.
11:18 AM GMT
Q2 to resume in three minutes
Good, that should ease Norris’s worries slightly. He still needs to put the lap in, though. He has not exactly lit up the time screens in these conditions. Unlike his team-mate who was the first to go out on intermediates.
11:17 AM GMT
Q2 – This could be worrying for Norris
The longer the delay the closer the heavier the rain gets and then the harder it will be for him to improve. Sainz’s Ferrari is already out of the barriers but that will be a significant rebuild job at the back of the car before this afternoon’s race. I am going to say it is going to be doubtful if we start as scheduled.
11:15 AM GMT
Q2 – Order under the red flag
-
PIA 1:25.179
-
RUS +1.128
-
STR +1.731
-
VER +2.592
-
LAW +2.951
-
PER +2.979
-
BOT +3.266
-
ALO +4.153
-
LEC +4.227
-
SAI +4.404
ELIMINATION ZONE: -
NOR
-
GAS
-
ALB
-
TSU
-
OCO
11:14 AM GMT
Q2 – RED FLAG
Sainz gets to the end of turn one, puts the pedal down slightly and loses the rear end and goes sideways into the barriers.
Five minutes and 51 seconds left on the clock which means there is time for those in the drop zone to get out again and improve. They are: Norris, Gasly, Albon, Tsunoda and Ocon.
Of course if the rain gets heavier then they might not be able to improve…
11:13 AM GMT
Q2 – Yellow flags in sector one!
Sainz has stopped on track it seems. Russell goes second fastest. Sainz is in the walls in fact and that is surely going to be a red flag!
Indeed it is…
11:12 AM GMT
Q2 – Piastri flying
He is now 2.6sec faster than Verstappen…
Norris is about to begin his first flying lap on the intermediate tyres. He has struggled on the full wets so let’s keep an eye on this times.
11:10 AM GMT
Q2 – Piastri fastest by 0.630sec
Can’t think many will stay out on the wets now, if any. Gasly, Lawson, Albon, Ocon and Tsunoda the men in the drop zone. Yellow flags in sector two and it’s George Russell who has spun on the intermediates. He gets it going again, though.
11:09 AM GMT
Q2 – Verstappen goes fastest
It’s a Red Bull 1-2. Norris told to box for intermediates. His lap on the wets is not that great. Piastri goes fastest of anyone in the first sector. It’s right for intermediates.
11:08 AM GMT
Q2 – Sainz crosses the line with a 1:29.406
Not faster than Verstappen’s best time in Q1. Leclerc then beats that but by less than a tenth. What is Piastri going to do on the intermediates?
His first sector is four-tenths down on Leclerc. He gets a bit of a twitch up the hill in the middle sector. Perez moves fastest by 0.549sec from Alonso.
Norris posts a time only good enough for P8, 1.4sec off Perez…
Piastri third with his first lap on the intermediates which suggests the time is right for intermediates. Or will be soon.
11:06 AM GMT
Q2 begins – Piastri already on the intermediates
He is the only man to be on the green-striped tyres. That final sector is still a bit tricky as Carlos Sainz see-saws at his steering wheel at turn 14.
11:04 AM GMT
Albon told the rain has eased off
If not actually stopping. The session begins. Will we see intermediates soon? Probably at the end if no further rain falls.
11:00 AM GMT
Q1 – Top 15
All of these drivers are through to Q2.
-
VER 1:28.522
-
ALB +0.550
-
RUS +0.599
-
OCO +0.649
-
TSU +0.650
-
GAS +0.898
-
LEC +1.317
-
PER +1.513
-
PIA +1.592
-
ALO +1.685
-
SAI +1.781
-
STR +2.058
-
BOT +2.111
-
LAW +2.236
-
NOR +2.422
10:59 AM GMT
Q1 ends – Eliminated drivers
Hamilton, Bearman, Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Zhou. That never looked likely for Hamilton. He’s normally good in the wet but he is not having a good time at the moment.
10:58 AM GMT
Q1 – Norris goes 14th!
But is that enough?! Lawson knocks him down into 15th, knocking Hamilton out!
Zhou can knock Norris out but can he? He cannot. Verstappen crosses the line fastest and Norris gets through by the skin of his teeth!
10:57 AM GMT
Q1 – Norris crosses the line to start his lap
Bottas improves and puts Norris in 15th. And he is not going very well at all on this lap… this is going to be very close for Norris.
Can Hamilton get out of the bottom five! He does, pushing Norris into 16th! Is he improving? He is but not by enough unless he aces the final sector!
10:55 AM GMT
Q1 – Hamilton not massively improving
He is still in the drop zone. It was track limits for Verstappen that had his lap deleted. Hamilton stays 17th. Norris and Verstappen are in danger here, slightly. Colapinto is still 13th, somehow, which suggests the conditions have not improved much at all yet.
10:55 AM GMT
Q1 – Can Russell improve?
Hamilton is on the cusp in 15th. Tsunoda leads Leclerc, Ocon, Perez, Piastri and Alonso. Norris in 13th and Verstappen 10th.
Russell improves to second but gets very, very close to Lance Stroll as he crosses the line. Norris in 14th. verstappen has a lap time deleted because of the double yellows waved in sector three.
Two minutes remain.
10:53 AM GMT
Q1 – Piastri moves from 13th to fifth
Hamilton on a better lap. Mind you, his previous lap was 11 seconds off the pace so that is not too hard.
He crosses the line and goes 14th… could be worse. His team-mate Russell is in last and may well be invesigated for an unsafe rejoining of the track.
10:51 AM GMT
Q1 – Right let’s look at these times
Six minutes left in the session. Piastri with a decent first sector time. I think drivers will struggle to improve their lap times as it stands. Might take a few more laps of a drier line to be cleared up. That said, Gasly has improved to go ninth so I am probably bang wrong yet again.
10:49 AM GMT
Q1 – Seven minutes remain
Albon, Zhou, Russell, Hamilton and Bottas in the drop zone.
10:48 AM GMT
Q1 resumes!
The rain has intensified but McLaren told Norris that it would ease off. I think that is going to be the order of the day. Haas sent out Bearman on intermediates but they choose to wheel him back in to change for wets which is wise, I feel.
10:46 AM GMT
Watch: Colapinto crashes
10:45 AM GMT
Q1 will restart in two minutes
Bottas switches back to the wet tyres after going to the intermediates.
10:44 AM GMT
Q1 – Colapinto just lost it, not difficult to do in these conditions
The Williams mechanics face a race against time to get that ready for the race, though further delays will help them, I guess. His car is recovered and we shouldn’t be too long before a resumption.
10:41 AM GMT
Q1 – Order under the red flag
-
TSU
-
LEC
-
OCO
-
PER
-
ALO
-
STR
-
VER
-
SAI
-
COL
-
NOR
-
HUL
-
GAS
-
PIA
-
LAW
-
BEA
ELIMINATION ZONE: -
ALB
-
ZHO
-
RUS
-
BOT
-
HAM
10:40 AM GMT
Q1 – RED FLAG
Franco Colapinto’s car is in the barriers… and that brings out the red flag as the rain gets heavier.
The rain is getting heavier in places 🌧️
Esteban is P2, and Pierre P10 👊
— BWT Alpine Formula One Team (@AlpineF1Team) November 3, 2024
10:39 AM GMT
Q1 – 10 mins remain
Hamilton currently last… Russell has told his team to think about intermediates as Tsunoda goes fastest. Russell, Leclerc, Bearman, Hamilton and Bottas in the drop zone.
10:38 AM GMT
Q1 – Bottas runs off at turn five
Not sure intermediates are the best choice here. Russell and Sainz get very close towards the end of the lap and nearly touch…
10:37 AM GMT
Q1 – Bottas has indeed pitted for inters
Ocon leads the way from Alonso, Tsunoda, Perez, Verstappen, Sainz and Norris. Hamilton currently in the drop zone.
10:36 AM GMT
Q1 – Stroll runs off at T13 again
That is the trickiest place so far with three drivers coming a cropper there. Bottas he been told to box for intermediate tyres apparently?
10:35 AM GMT
Q1 – Green flags in sector three now
A lot of spray on the pit straight as Norris crosses the line with a 1:31.608, some 23 seconds or so slower than his sprint pole yesterday. Replays show Lawson manages to stay on the asphalt of the perimeter road after locking up before getting going again. Another yellow flag as Zhou seems to have stopped at the same place as Lawson.
A good lap from Ocon, 1.5sec ahead of Norris and at the top.
10:33 AM GMT
Q1 – Yellow flags in sector three
Liam Lawson has stopped on track at turn 13 and hasn’t moved. He may well be off the track and he finally gets moving. Not sure what happened there.
10:31 AM GMT
Q1 – All drivers out there on wets
As you would expect. Alexander Albon is the man who leads them away to huge cheers from the beponchoed fans in the stands.
10:30 AM GMT
GREEN LIGHT: Q1 IS GO!
I’m impressed. Well done to F1 and the FIA for being flexible and giving the best chance of action.
10:29 AM GMT
The cars are queuing up at the end of the pit lane
Pierre Gasly is told that the rain may intensify in 15 minutes.
10:26 AM GMT
You know what?
I think we’re going to get tgis qualifying session going… and on time!
10:17 AM GMT
A trackside view from Sky’s Karun Chandhok
It looks like the rain has eased somewhat, thankfully.
10:13 AM GMT
I’m afraid I do not think conditions look good enough to run
We still have 18 minutes until the scheduled start of qualifying, but I think that is an optimistic reading. We might just have to sit tight.
10:07 AM GMT
It’s definitely a wet track out there
Not as bad as it was yesterday, though. The Aston Martin Safety Car followed by another support vehicle is currently out there. I would be surprised if we stick to the scheudled timings today but the reason the sessions have been moved is exactly for this reason.
09:59 AM GMT
News: Red Bull accuse McLaren of illegally filling tyres with water
Some big news overnight from the F1 paddock…
Qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix was postponed until Sunday by torrential rain at Interlagos, but an even bigger storm was brewing off the track with governing body the FIA understood to be investigating allegations by Red Bull that McLaren are among a number of rival teams illegally filling their tyres with water to improve their performance.
09:57 AM GMT
Current driver standings
It is hard to describe a 44-point advantage as precarious but with Verstappen’s grid penalty today there is a chance for Norris to take another chunk from it. I think McLaren would prefer it to be dry today, even though rain brings unpredictability. Norris is good in the rain but Verstappen is just, well, superb. It may well remove any advantage that the McLaren has over the Red Bull.
09:48 AM GMT
There have been a host of penalties for Verstappen recently
20 seconds in the Mexico City Grand Prix last weekend and more in Brazil this weekend. Yesterday he finished third on the road in the sprint race but later took a five-second time penalty that demoted him behind Charles Leclerc, which meant he lost three points to Lando Norris in the standings.
Here is why:
Oh, and don’t forget that he takes a five-place grid penalty for today’s race. So if he qualifies fastest, he will start sixth.
09:44 AM GMT
Another weather update from the BBC’s Ian Fergusson
#F1 #BBCF1 #BRAZILGP SUNDAY: It’s 6.25am at a wet Interlagos after a night of periodic light rain. More of this is now spreading south across the circuit, with a gradual uptick in rainfall amounts/rates & heavier bursts at times this morning. Air temp currently 19.8C & track 20C
— Ian Fergusson (@fergieweather) November 3, 2024
09:43 AM GMT
Fair play to the F1 team personnel
This is the third race in an Austin-Mexico City-Sao Paulo triple-header and it is ending with its most intense day. At least there’s two weekends with no racing until we return in Qatar.
09:38 AM GMT
Sprint classification – Top eight
All of these drivers scored points.
-
Lando Norris, McLaren
-
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
-
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
-
Max Verstappen, Red Bull
-
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
-
George Russell, Mercedes
-
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
-
Sergio Perez, Red Bull
09:31 AM GMT
What is the weather like at Interlagos currently?
We are an hour away from qualifying starting and it looks damp with some rain about. Better than about 13 hours ago, mind you. This is from Autosport’s Jon Noble.
09:27 AM GMT
A reminder of the session times today
Qualifying: 10.30am GMT
Sao Paulo GP: 3.30pm
Whether or not these start on time remains to be seen…
09:26 AM GMT
Good morning
This is a little earlier than we would have expected to be kicking off our Sunday Formula One blog, but nevertheless welcome to our coverage for today’s qualifying and indeed the race at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, Brazil.
In case you missed it, yesterday’s qualifying was a wash-out. After McLaren had wrapped up a slightly dicey 1-2 in the sprint race earlier in the day the heavens opened in dramatic fashion just an hour or so before qualifying was due to start. They eased a little but the rain did not stop and after a couple of hours of waiting around and ‘estimated’ start times being pushed back until the FIA looked at the track conditions, the weather forecast and decided to call it quits.
So here we are, with both qualifying and the race to get through on a day when there is rain forecast throughout the day, too. Can we do it? Well, fingers crossed. It would be a crying shame if we cannot.
A few points of order on the day. The delayed qualifying has been rescheduled to 7.30am local time (10.30am GMT) with the race pushed forward 90 minutes to 3.30pm GMT. The reason that the FIA gave for that is that, clearly, with more rain around they wanted to ensure the longest possible window for the race – of any kind, I guess, not necessarily the whole thing – to take place. That seems sensible to me, as yesterday’s approach was.
This is not the first time that qualifying has taken place on a Sunday, though. Looking at the current weather forecast for Interlagos on the Met Office, there is at least a 70 per cent chance of rain every hour between now 7pm local tonight and, given the sun sets at 6.22pm that could mean a lot of waiting around again. The heaviest rain is expected at 2pm local time (90 minutes into the race) though with the way the weather is in this region, that is far from a guarantee. #
As ever, whatever happens we will be here to guide you through it all with qualifying up first. Fingers crossed we get that done without too much fuss and don’t have to consult the rule book to find out what session will be used to set the grid…
