Formula 1 chaos as Brazilian GP qualifying POSTPONED due to heavy rain with drenched fans left waiting for hours
THE Brazilian Grand Prix has descended into chaos after intense storms saw qualifying cancelled.
Torrential rain drenched both the track and F1 fans in Sao Paulo prior to the start of Saturday’s Q1.
Lando Norris had earlier won the sprint race at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace before heavy rain halted proceedings.
Following hours of delays, qualifying was eventually postponed until Sunday.
A statement released by the FIA said: “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.
“A decision on a start time for qualifying tomorrow morning will be taken as soon as possible.”
Qualifying will now take place before the Grand Prix, which is scheduled to start at 2pm local time (5pm GMT).
McLaren’s Norris cut Max Verstappen‘s lead to 45 points in the Drivers Championship thanks to help from teammate Oscar Piastri.
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Piastri moved over to allow Norris through just two laps before the end of the race on team orders.
Following the race, Norris said: “Not proud about it, but we worked well as a team together. I thank Oscar.
“Today was the result we wanted, Oscar deserved it but I thank him and the team.
“It was yo-yoing a little bit. The dirty air costs you a lot of lap time.
F1 reporter Isabelle Barker's prediction
I EXPECT Max Verstappen to go all guns blazing over the next six-rounds. I also think his experience and aggression could give him the edge.
It seems too little too late for Norris showing consistency, despite that dominant win in Singapore last time out.
You can’t help think what could have been had he sorted out his first-lap issues sooner.
Norris needs to prove he has the mental fortitude, because we all know he’s got the speed, the team and the fastest car.
Verstappen has endured an eight-race winless streak, but he has still managed to score points, with three second-places during that time.
So I think the Dutchman will lift his fourth world-title this season, by the skin of his teeth.
“I felt a bit quicker but I couldn’t get close enough to pass.
“I felt we were quicker than the guys behind but it’s difficult in the sprint to know how much to manage [the tyres].”