The 21st Grand Prix of the season takes place this Sunday in Brazil on the famous Interlagos circuit. Lando Norris will start from pole position while Max Verstappen was trapped in qualifying.
After the United States and Mexico, Brazil welcomes the drivers for a third Grand Prix in three weeks. The last two races did not allow Max Verstappen to increase his lead in the world championship over Lando Norris, on the contrary the Dutchman even lost a few points. Third in Austin and sixth in Mexico, when the Briton took fourth and second places respectively, the three-time world champion saw the gap between him and Norris reduced to 47 points, and even to 44 points after the contested sprint race. SATURDAY.
Please note, the weather forecast and the possibility of violent storms have led the organizers to review the program and bring forward the start of the race. Qualifying began at 11:30 a.m. French time. Scheduled for 6 p.m. French time, the departure will finally take place at 4:30 p.m. this Sunday. The drivers will still set off for 71 laps of a race that we hope will be spectacular. Max Verstappen was trapped in qualifying and was unable to progress to Q2.
12th fastest in Q2, he will start from the back of the grid at 4:30 p.m., probably from 17th place after a 5-place penalty for changing a component on his engine at the start of the weekend. Subject to other penalties or that Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon or Carlos Sainz can benefit from single-seaters in good condition after their crashes in qualifying… Lando Norris, Verstappen's rival in the championship, achieved the pole position ahead of George Russell, Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon, surprising 4th and comfortable in the rain.
The Brazilian Grand Prix, 21st of the 24 rounds on the 2024 calendar, takes place on the famous Interlagos circuit. With its long straight lines and its large curves, the track, which offers a significant difference in altitude, plays into the hands of the fastest single-seaters, which could serve the purposes of the McLarens, or even the Ferraris, more efficient, than the Red Bulls since the beginning of summer.
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15:08 – Brazil before a 3-week break
The Formula 1 world championship makes a stop in Brazil where the 21st of the 24 Grands Prix of the season will be contested this Sunday. This race at Interlagos follows those in the United States and Mexico held the two previous weekends. We will then have to wait three weeks before seeing the paddock settle down in Las Vegas (23/11) before continuing with Doha (01/12) and Abu Dhabi (08/12).
13:28 – Pole for Norris, Verstappen at the back of the grid
At the end of an interminable qualifying session disputed in the rain and marked by five red flags marking interruptions for as many spectacular crashes (Colapinto, Sainz, Stroll, Alonso and Albon), Lando Norris knew how to avoid the pitfalls to climb into pole position. Having come very close to elimination in Q1 (15th time), the Briton achieved a superb final time in Q3 to get ahead of George Russell and his Mercedes on the grid. Yuki Tsunoda with the Racing Bulls but also Esteban Ocon, 4th with his Alpine, also took full advantage of the chaos to climb high on the grid.
Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) is 5th, Charles Leclerc 6th. Alex Albon set the 7th fastest time but then crashed his Williams. Very damaged, it could have difficulty being repaired in time before the race, like the Aston Martins of Alonso and Stroll 9th and 10th behind Piastri, 8th. Max Verstappen should logically start from 17th place (12th in Q2 + 5 penalty places) but the various accidents could cause him to move up in the event of a withdrawal or gearbox changes on the damaged single-seaters. This change also causes a penalty on the starting grid. Departure remains set for 4:30 p.m. French time for the time being.
12:34 – Sensation in Q2, Verstappen out! He will start at the back of the grid
The postponed qualifying session on Saturday takes place this Sunday morning. In the rain again, many drivers were trapped on the wet Interlagos track. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1, Franco Colapinto went off the track in Q1 like Carlos Sainz who destroyed his Ferrari in Q2. Above all, Max Verstappen was trapped by a late red flag brought out after Lance Stroll's crash. The world championship leader was unable to complete his last fast lap and was content with 12th fastest time. Eliminated before Q3, he should start from 17th on the starting grid after his 5-place penalty imposed for changing a component on his engine at the start of the weekend.
11:59 – 5 qualifications have already taken place on Sunday
In the long history of F1, it has already happened that qualifying has been moved from Saturday to Sunday. This postponement has occurred 5 times, the last time in Japan in 2019. Sebastian Vettel then achieved pole position, his last in F1 before his retirement in 2022. Before that, Nico Rosberg in Austin in 2015, Sebastian Vettel already in Australia in 2013 and in Japan in 2010 and Michael Schumacher in 2004, again at Suzuka, were the fastest in qualifying, held exceptionally on a Sunday.
11:26 – Qualifying will begin at 11:30 a.m.
They can be followed live on Canal+. The channel will also broadcast the Grand Prix this Sunday afternoon. Departure is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. French time.
10:57 – Gasly still in the game this Sunday?
At ease since the start of the weekend at Interlagos, the track where he scored his first podium in F1 (2nd in 2019), Pierre Gasly took 7th place in the sprint race on Saturday after reaching Q3 of the sprint qualifying session. A good performance is therefore hoped for this Sunday, as well as a rebound from Esteban Ocon who has lacked rhythm since Friday. Alpine is fighting with Williams for 8th place in the constructors' standings. One point, in favor of Williams, separates the two teams.
09:16 – The start time for the Brazilian GP is late!
Due to a big thunderstorm expected in the afternoon in Brazil this Sunday, the rain having already led to the postponement of qualifying on Saturday, the times of the Brazilian GP have been modified by the organizers. Here is the new program for this Sunday at Interlagos:
- at 11:30 a.m. French time, qualifying session.
- at 4:30 p.m. French time, start of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
09:05 – Verstappen penalized at the end of the sprint race, Norris grabs one more point
3rd in the Brazilian GP sprint race contested this Saturday, Max Verstappen received a five-second penalty at the end of the race. The stewards judged his maneuver to be non-regulatory during the end of the “virtual safety car” at the end of the race. The Dutchman had almost returned to Oscar Piastri, pretending to overtake him while the race was still neutralized and the positions frozen. This penalty drops him to 4th place. Winner of this sprint race, Lando Norris took the opportunity to grab one more point and comes back to 44 points behind the Red Bull driver in the championship standings before the Grand Prix on Sunday.
