Quitting time
The plan for tomorrow is set and with that we turn our ticker off. As promised, you can now continue with the big video analysis on the Formula1.de YouTube channel.
Have fun with your colleagues there, have a good night and see you tomorrow, when we’ll be back in time for qualifying with a new ticker edition!
Fear of the rain
The background to the decision is clear: Because it is also expected to rain tomorrow, both sessions should take place as early as possible. This gives yourself scope to react to the weather.
Let’s hope that we can actually get both sessions done.
FIA-Statement
Here is the complete FIA statement on the new schedule:
“Due to today’s conditions in São Paulo, it was decided not to continue qualifying due to poor visibility, standing water on the track and fading light. Safety is always paramount in such circumstances.”
“As much time as possible was allowed for conditions to improve, which unfortunately was not the case. We have great respect for all the fans who stayed at the track in the hope of seeing cars on the track today see.”
“Therefore, after consultation with the race stewards, it was decided to schedule qualifying on Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. local time before the Grand Prix begins at 12:30 p.m.”
“This will ensure we can offer fans the most exciting day of racing possible. Both the FIA and Formula 1 believe this time difference is necessary and right for all of our passionate fans.”
“We thank everyone for their patience today, including fans, drivers, teams, marshals, track staff and media, and hope we can provide everyone with an exciting race on Sunday.”
Qualifying and race postponed
The FIA has published a new schedule for Sunday. Exciting: The start of the race will also be postponed. The qualifying takes place at 11:30 a.m. CET, the race now at 4:30 p.m. More soon!
Hamilton dupes Domenicali and Pirelli
Lewis Hamilton exposed Formula 1 with a single sentence in front of the camera. Because once again the premier class confirmed the cliché of not driving in the rain – and the seven-time world champion completely made fun of Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali.
The Italian was explaining on the microphone that it wasn’t safe to drive and that the light would eventually become too bad to drive later in the day. Tenor: “It’s a shame, but we can’t do anything about the weather.”
Suddenly he was surprised by Hamilton, who said to him with a laugh: “You should have sent us out! This is ridiculous, we should go out. I want to drive!”
You can find the complete story here!
Canceled races
We are still waiting for an official start time for tomorrow’s qualifying. In the meantime, take a look at this photo series. Let’s hope there isn’t a new entry tomorrow…
Photo series: Formula 1 races that had to be canceled
What would the starting grid be like without qualifying?
If it rains too heavily tomorrow morning, it would also be possible to hold the race without prior qualifying. But what would the starting lineup look like then?
There are currently different interpretations. This specific case for a sprint weekend is probably not specified in the rules.
But let’s wait and see first. There is still a chance that we can drive tomorrow.
Rain tomorrow too
There is no official start time yet, but it is clear that qualifying should take place sometime in the morning. The problem: Rain is also forecast for the entire Sunday in Sao Paulo.
And if this turns out to be as violent as today, then a very similar scenario could await us – also in the race…
Qualifying on Sunday
It has happened several times in Formula 1 that qualifying took place on a Sunday – for a while it was even completely normal. More about this in this photo series:
Photo series: Formula 1 qualifying: mode over time
Next cheating dispute in Formula 1?
After Mini-DRS and Bib Trick, now comes the next accusation of cheating in Formula 1. Red Bull currently suspects that competitors could be putting water in the Pirelli tires in order to be able to maintain a better pace for longer in the race.
It is said that several teams – including World Cup competitor McLaren – are supposed to inject water through the valves. This is intended to provide a cooling effect that keeps the tires alive over a longer distance.
You can read all the background information here!
Qualifying in Brazil only on Sunday
The FIA officially reports:
“Qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix is postponed.”
“This decision was made due to the lack of visibility caused by the heavy rainfall of the last few hours. There is a lot of water on parts of the circuit, making conditions unsafe.”
“As much as we all want competition on the track, the safety of riders, team members, volunteers, officials and spectators is our top priority.”
“A decision on the start time for qualifying tomorrow morning will be made as soon as possible.”
Open session ticker now!
We don’t yet know when exactly it will start, but we’ll move the event to our session ticker. So here’s a break for now, after the end of the qualification we’ll continue with the votes for Saturday.
And if you want to know how you can watch Formula 1 in the live stream this weekend, you can find out here!
How slippery will it be?
At this point we would like to remind you once again of the statements made by Pirelli chief engineer Simone Berra. He already explained that rain today and tomorrow could lead to quite chaotic scenes.
Background: The track in Interlagos has been newly asphalted and, according to Berra, there is still a lot of oil in the new asphalt. “In heavy rain, this oil can escape from the asphalt,” explains the Italian.
“This will create some slippery situations during the race,” he believes. Let’s see. And above all, let’s see when things can actually start here…
Start is delayed
Now it’s official: The start of qualifying has been delayed indefinitely. No surprise. There will be another update from the FIA in 20 minutes.
Nobody drives that fast
It’s not official yet, but take a look at the pictures for yourself. If it stays that way, no one will leave the pits in 25 minutes…
