Qualifying for the Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix had to be postponed on Saturday due to heavy rain at the Interlagos circuit, and will now take place on Sunday at 07:30 local time (11:30 Paris time), a few hours before the GP now scheduled for 12:30 (16:30 Paris time).

Less than an hour before the start of qualifying, torrential downpours and thunderstorms fell on the famous Brazilian track, prompting race management to postpone the start several times. Although the rain gradually eased off, it continued to fall in the vicinity of the circuit. “The decision was taken because of the lack of visibility caused by the rain we’ve been experiencing over the last few hours. There is a lot of standing water on certain parts of the circuit, which makes conditions dangerous.”explained the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in a press release issued on Saturday, two hours after the initial start of the session.

The leader in the championship standings Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will start 6th at best. That’s right, the three-time defending champion has been handed a five-place penalty due to an internal combustion engine change beyond the authorized quotas. However, “Mad Max” can hope to move up the order, especially as rain – in which the Dutchman can perform well – is expected again on Sunday.

What if qualifying doesn’t take place?

He’ll have to hope that the weather conditions allow qualifying to take place early in the morning. Because if not, according to the regulations, it’s the classification of the third free practice session that will determine the starting grid for the GP. However, the Brazilian GP, the 21st of the season’s 24 rounds, is the penultimate of the year’s six events to feature a sprint format, which alters the course of the weekend.

The drivers therefore only completed one free practice session on Friday. (as opposed to the usual three) before qualifying, which determined the grid for the sprint race. It was the standings from this single practice session of the weekend that could then determine the starting grid for the GP – a session that Lando Norris, second overall behind Verstappen, dominated ahead of two of his compatriots, George Russell (Mercedes) and Oliver Bearman, who replaces the ailing Dane Kevin Magnussen at Haas. Only 15th out of 20, Verstappen would start last in this scenario due to his penalty.

Norris, sprint winner under the sun

Earlier in the day, in bright sunshine and heat, Norris won the sprint race. For his first victory in the exercise, the Briton had his team-mate Piastri to thank: for a long time leading the race from pole, the Australian finally relinquished his position to Norris with two laps to go, at his team’s request: “we talked about it before the race (…), that was always the plan”.assured Piastri, who finished 2nd. With this one-two finish, the duo confirmed McLaren’s excellent form, having become the leading force on the grid in mid-September.

Leclerc finished 3rd after Verstappen, initially on the podium, was given a 5-second penalty for an infringement committed under the virtual safety car. The leader in the championship dropped to 4th place. In the championship, Verstappen gave up three points to his rival Norris. He is now 44 points ahead of the traditional Sunday Grand Prix, when up to 26 points are up for grabs.