SAO PAULO — A major storm appears set to hit the Interlagos Formula 1 circuit ahead of Saturday’s sprint race, which might have major ramifications on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix schedule.
Brazil’s National Institute of Meterology has issued an orange alert for storms, predicting heavy rain and high winds on Saturday morning.
The inclement weather may extend through the day — Formula 1 has a sprint race at 11 a.m. local time, before qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix at 3 p.m. local time.
The FIA confirmed to ESPN that the worst weather is currently estimated to hit the circuit between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., although a spokesperson was quick to point out that estimate could change overnight.
A delay to the sprint race, which championship Lando Norris will start on pole for, could then have an impact on the start time of the one-hour qualifying session.
Sunset is at 6.30 p.m. in Sao Paulo, giving a short window to move things around. Brazil’s race has become synonymous for bad weather, which has thrown up memorable and dramatic events for decades.
Memorably last year Red Bull’s Max Verstappen turned in one of the great drives of F1’s modern era, going from 17th to victory in heavy rain which caught out many of the field.
Bad weather could benefit Verstappen again on Saturday — the championship outsider starts the sprint from sixth position, having looked off the pace in dry conditions.
There are other concerns beyond simply the timing of the sessions. Paddock curfew ends at 6.30 a.m., meaning the time currently estimated as the worst for weather would be right as team personnel arrive to prepare their cars for the day. Advice to teams has been to keep garages closed outside of any on-track activities to minimize any ill-effects from bad weather.
The FIA will constantly monitor the situation throughout the day. Should the schedule be affected dramatically, qualifying could also be moved to Sunday — the last time that happened was when a typhoon washed out Saturday’s running at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix.
If qualifying for the grand prix itself cannot go ahead, F1’s rules state that the grid would be determined by championship position.
