Brazilian Grand Prix: Qualifying postponed amid heavy rain, rescheduled for Sunday morning

Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo – The Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying session originally scheduled for Saturday has been rescheduled for Sunday morning due to persistent heavy rain at the Interlagos circuit.

A thunderstorm struck the area just an hour before the planned 3 p.m. start, with continuous rain leading to challenging track conditions. The FIA initially delayed the session, conducting track inspections at 15-minute intervals before officially postponing the event at 4:45 p.m. local time.

In a statement addressing the decision, the FIA explained: "The decision was taken due to the lack of visibility caused by the level of rain we have experienced in the past few hours. There is a lot of standing water on parts of the circuit which renders conditions unsafe. As much as we would all like to see competition on track, the safety of drivers, team members, volunteers, officials and spectators is our main priority."

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali expressed the ongoing efforts to adapt the schedule: "Now the FIA is making the final check on what will be the right timing to organise the qualifying and follow up a plan to complete the day, because as you know it is a great event and we need to make sure we can maximize everything in all the conditions that can be acceptable, of course."

This marks the first instance since the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix—postponed due to Typhoon Hagibis—that qualifying has been delayed until race day.

Earlier on Saturday, dry conditions allowed the sprint race to take place without interruption. Lando Norris secured victory after teammate Oscar Piastri was instructed by McLaren to relinquish the lead.

Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix carries significant implications for the championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. Verstappen, who leads Norris by 44 points after the sprint race, will face an additional challenge with a five-place grid penalty due to an extra engine change beyond his season quota.

As the motorsport community looks ahead to Sunday, the rescheduled qualifying session adds an element of unpredictability to an already crucial race day at the Interlagos circuit.

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