Sao Paulo Grand Prix Qualifying Rescheduled to Sunday Due to Heavy Rain

The Sao Paulo Grand Prix is available live on 5 live and the BBC Sport website. The qualifying session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix has been moved to Sunday due to heavy rainfall. The qualifying session is now scheduled to commence at 07:30 local time (10:30 UK). The main race has been brought forward by one and a half hours, now starting at 12:30 local time (15:30 UK), in anticipation of additional wet weather predicted for Sunday. Originally, qualifying was slated to begin at 15:00 local time (18:00 UK) on Saturday. Following multiple delays, the final decision was reached at 16:45 local time, determining that the track was excessively wet and conditions were unlikely to get better. In a joint statement, the governing body FIA and Formula 1 announced: “The decision was taken not to proceed with qualifying due to poor visibility, standing water on the track and fading light.” The statement continued: “Safety is always the paramount consideration in such circumstances and, while as much time as possible was given to allow conditions to improve, they sadly did not.” The decision to advance the race start time was prompted by predictions of further heavy rain in Sao Paulo from Sunday mid-afternoon. Consequently, qualifying was rescheduled for an earlier start in Brazil, as regulations stipulate a minimum four-hour interval between the conclusion of qualifying and the commencement of the race. The statement also indicated that the revised timings would “ensure we maximise the chances of providing the fans with a day of racing action, given the weather forecast for Sunday afternoon, and both the FIA and F1 believe this time change is necessary and the right thing to do for all our passionate fans”. During an interview immediately following the postponement, F1 president Stefano Domenicali, who was explaining the decision to move the session to Sunday, was interrupted by Lewis Hamilton, who stated: “I want to go out. If you give us better wet tyres we’d be able to go out in this.” Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz posted on X: “I’m sorry for the fans. They cheered relentlessly under the rain, but quali was impossible.” Max Verstappen of Red Bull enters the grand prix holding a 44-point advantage over McLaren’s Lando Norris in the World Championship standings. Norris narrowed his deficit by three points after winning Saturday’s sprint race, whereas Verstappen finished fourth, having been demoted one position due to a time penalty incurred for exceeding the allowed speed during a virtual safety car period. Torrential rain occurred between the sprint race and the qualifying session. Hamilton proposed to F1 CEO Domenicali that the sport should utilize “better” wet tyres. Sandi Toksvig will be accompanied by Gyles Brandreth, Lulu, Emmanuel Sonubi, and Alan Davies. Opportunities are available to sing along to music from Queen, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, and other artists. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble have returned for the celebratory events at Longleat Safari Park. Topics covered range from microplastics in the air, soil, and waterways to the current levels of food waste during this period. © 2024 BBC. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding its policy on external linking is available.