And the same song again, now 8:45 PM
We are not very original in the last hour, but qualifying is postponed again by fifteen minutes. Now the target is 8:45 p.m.
AFP We are still working hard to get the circuit dry
Fifteen minutes of delay again, the chance of action becomes smaller
There is another postponement. Now there won’t be any racing until 8:15 PM at the earliest. The chance that we will see any action on the track is becoming smaller and smaller.
AFPThe circuit is swept
Organization drives around the circuit
The organization sends the medical car onto the circuit. There must then be more clarity about the conditions on the track, so that a well-considered decision can be made.
Is there still racing tonight? That’s the question.
Why don’t they drive in the rain?
The start of qualifying will therefore be postponed anyway. It is not yet clear when we will start, we will receive a new update at 7:39 PM.
It is now too dangerous for the cars to go on the track now. Yes, there are rain tires, but the chance of aquaplaning is very high with Formula 1 cars.
The forecasts are clear: 100 percent chance of rain
The predictions are clear. There is a 100 percent chance of rain during qualifying. The worst is yet to come, as our reporter in São Paulo knows.
NOSChance of rain: 100 percent
What do the penalties mean for Verstappen?
Max Verstappen received a five-second time penalty after the sprint race. He also received a five-place grid penalty for Sunday earlier this weekend because he replaced his engine. In principle, these penalties have no consequences for qualifying tonight.
The time penalty had an effect on his result in the sprint race and the grid penalty counts for Sunday’s main race. So if Verstappen qualifies first tonight, he will start in P6, and so on.
It’s raining quite a bit now in São Paulo. That could become very interesting during qualifying, which starts in more than half an hour. In addition, the wind is also very strong at the circuit. So be careful for the drivers.
- NOSRain, rain, rain
- NOSRain, rain, rain
How do you follow the GP São Paulo with the NOS?
The Grand Prix of São Paulo can of course be followed via this blog, but images can also be seen on our television. Below you can see when and where you can activate it.
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How much rubber is worn?
It smells like rubber in the paddock. Tire supplier Pirelli checks for all teams how much the tires have worn after the sprint race. Using a hairdryer, they scrape loose pieces of rubber aside, after which a careful measurement follows.
- NOSPirelli checks the tires
- NOSPirelli checks the tires
- NOSPirelli checks the tires
Red Bull team boss Horner can live with two more points for Norris: ‘But more is not allowed’
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is satisfied with the sprint race of Verstappen and Pérez in Brazil. “They did well. We also had the speed with both cars.” Ultimately, Verstappen had to give up two World Championship points to Norris, who won the sprint race. “That’s okay. We can live with that, but we certainly shouldn’t hand in any more.”
That is why Red Bull’s focus is now on delivering a car that can compete for the top spots on Sunday. Especially because Verstappen still has a grid penalty of five places.
Red Bull team boss Horner can live with two more points for Norris: ‘But more is not allowed’
Piastri would make a substitution again: ‘I don’t play a role in the World Cup standings’
Oscar Piastri was on his way to victory in the sprint race for McLaren for a long time, but had to give up first place to his teammate in the final phase. He wasn’t angry about that afterwards. “The substitution was always the plan and I think we did a good job. It’s obviously less fun than winning, but I know the position we’re in. We’ve been talking about it for months and now it’s happening. I know I don’t have a real role in the World Cup, so I’m fine with it.”
Tomorrow Piastri would do exactly the same again, during the main race, if asked. “Then we will drive in the team interest again.”
ReutersOscar Piastri in sprintrace
Norris: ‘If it is dry, it looks good for tomorrow’
Lando Norris won the sprint race in São Paulo, but this was mainly because he was given first place by his teammate Oscar Piastri. This is to gain as many points as possible in the World Cup standings. “I’m not proud to win like that, but we have a boss and we agreed to do it like that. I don’t think any team works together as well as we do.”
And so Norris expects that he can compete for first place again tomorrow. “When it is dry, it looks good. When it rains there is a chance for everyone. Rain on a freshly asphalted track is not very pleasant. The track is far from optimal anyway, with all those bumps. That makes it physical heavy and annoying. That really has to be better next year.”
ReutersLando Norris in the sprintrace
Verstappen: ‘I was stuck, otherwise I could threaten McLarens’
Max Verstappen is satisfied with his sprint race, he says afterwards. “I am especially happy with the speed we had. I seemed to be able to join the fight and that was quite a long time ago. I was just stuck behind Charles Leclerc for a long time. Could I have otherwise threatened the McLarens? Yes, maybe. “
The Dutchman is curt about the possible punishment that Verstappen faces. “That must be about the restart. That was indeed quite close.”
Verstappen will already have a penalty on Sunday, because he will receive a grid penalty of five places for changing the engine. The Dutchman therefore has to work hard to achieve a good result. Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko previously said that rain during the race would help with this.
“Then anything can indeed happen,” Verstappen said on Saturday. But I also think a dry race is fine.”
ReutersVerstappen and Norris after the sprint race
Marko sees that Red Bull is much too slow: ‘Hope for rain for Verstappen’
Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko said on Friday evening, after qualifying for the sprint race, that he hoped for rain. Because only then does Verstappen seem to have a better chance of winning in Brazil. But, bad news.
According to our reporter on site, there is sun with some light clouds. There doesn’t seem to be any rain in the sky for now. It is oppressively hot on the circuit.
Marko sees that Red Bull is much too slow: ‘Hope for rain for Verstappen’
Would the new Senna please report? ‘We need a Brazilian in Formula 1’
At the Brazilian Grand Prix in Formula 1, there is always attention for one man. A Brazilian grandmaster, a legend and someone everyone wants to be compared to.
It has been thirty years since Ayrton Senna died in a crash at the Imola circuit in Italy. Extra reason to remember the three-time world champion. “Ayrton was at the top of his powers and then he crashed. It was a huge shock. For us in Brazil it was a disaster,” says two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi about his compatriot at the Brazilian GP.
“I never thought I would lose Ayrton to a Formula 1 crash, because it happened less and less often. Since Ayrton, only Jules Bianchi has died,” said Fittipaldi. He and three-time world champion Nelson Piquet preceded Senna in winning the world title as a Brazilian, but there is no successor in the illustrious club of world champions yet.
The only circuit where there is a sprint race every year
The Autodromo José Carlos Pace is the only circuit where a sprint race has been held every year since its introduction in 2021. Sixteen sprint races have been held since its introduction in 2021. Eleven of these were won by Verstappen.
This means that the Dutchman has completed 69 percent of the number of sprints to his name. Valtteri Bottas (2), George Russell, Sergio Pérez and Oscar Piastri have also crossed the finish line first.
AFPAutodromo José Carlos Pace
Leclerc also curses, but does not receive community service
Charles Leclerc has been fined by the FIA. After the race in Mexico, the Monegasque used the word ‘fuck’ during the press conference. Two seconds later Leclerc thought he was already in trouble. “Oh no. I don’t want to join Max,” he said, laughing.
Verstappen received community service from the FIA a few weeks ago for the same offense. The Ferrari driver escapes that, but he does receive a fine of 10,000 euros, of which 5,000 is conditional.
ReutersCharles Leclerc
Bearman completely replaces Magnussen this weekend
Oliver Bearman may complete the race weekend in Brazil. The young Briton replaces the Dane Kevin Magnussen, who is ill. The 19-year-old F1 driver, who will have a permanent seat with the American racing team next year, also drove the free practice and qualifying for the sprint race on Friday. He did that quite convincingly.
Bearman qualified tenth for the sprint race on Friday.
ReutersOliver Bearman
Hamilton first Senna by driving in his car
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton today pays tribute to the legendary Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna. Today, after the races, he gets behind the wheel of the McLaren MP4/5B at the Interlagos circuit. Senna won the world title in that car in 1990.
It is exactly thirty years ago that Senna died in a crash at the Imola circuit. In Brazil, where Hamilton is an honorary citizen, they still remember one of the greatest drivers in Brazilian history.
Hamilton is allowed to drive Senna’s car: ‘Never thought I would be allowed to do this’
Welcome to the blog! We are getting ready for another day of racing in São Paulo, Brazil. That is already happening this afternoon during the sprint race. And then there is also a qualifying for the race tonight. It is up to Max Verstappen to limit the damage today compared to competitor Lando Norris. But the Briton was much faster than the Dutchman yesterday, during the sprint qualifying.
So there really is something at stake.
You can follow all the action today in this live blog.
