Max Verstappen & Co. Given Disheartening Update as FIA Prioritizes Safety in Daunting Brazilian Storm

The weekend in Sao Paulo has been nothing short of an action-packed thriller so far. After a dramatic Mexican GP, fans were hoping the infamous Interlagos circuit would create a similar environment. And boy! It delivered! Starting from free practice, there were hints of a shake-up in the usual top order after Max Verstappen was nowhere to be found. With the Ferrari duo topping the time charts before heading into the Brazil GP qualifying. However, the tables would turn in Qualifying.

The sky turned pitch black in the second half of Q3, a sight nobody had expected just minutes prior. Taking advantage of the impending rain, Verstappen managed to put in a blinder of a lap, placing his RB19 on the pole. Unfortunately for the Tifosi, the Ferrari duo turned into a solo act as Charles Leclerc finished second while Carlos Sainz dropped down to 8th. The Maranello outfit had failed to carry forward their momentum from the Mexican GP, with the Spaniard missing out due to the ever-changing conditions on track. Meanwhile, a success story was brewing in the midfield with Aston Martin’s second-row lockout under the treacherous conditions. However, the FIA has rained on the top 10’s parade, forcing them to respect the weather.

The FIA has put the Top 10 in a dilemma after the Brazil GP Qualifying fiasco

A qualifying filled with unusual stories, the top ten were finally able to breathe once the session was over. Most of the front runners got away with seconds to spare before the rain hit, but Oscar Piastri spun off as the track got slippery. Whilst the teams were huddling into their garages to further work on the set-ups, they were hit with an unfortunate announcement.

Unfortunately, everyone who made it into Q3 was met with a massive disadvantage as they were left with set-up worries amidst the pouring rain. While it looked like a biblical flood had made landfall in Interlagos, the teams still had some tingling to do before tomorrow’s sprint shootout. The importance of the little period after Qualifying they had was due to the sprint format cutting down on practice time.

After a weekend that has seen numerous variables work for some and blow up in other’s faces, the teams were hindered by the FIA’s safety measures. However, the decision was most likely the right call, as Chris Medland points out. After all, the grandstand roof itself caved under the Sao Paulo weather, leaving debris flying everywhere.

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But will the top ten manage to bounce back against those with more set-up time after the Brazil GP qualifying rollercoaster?

Drivers are left baffled by the qualifying storm at Interlagos

As the grid prepared their cars for one last battle in Q3, the rain gods truly outdid themselves. Verstappen was quoted by Formula1.com after qualifying, “We didn’t know when it would hit in qualifying, this is of course insane weather. Charles [Leclerc] and I were discussing, our laps felt terrible, the wind was strong and we lost a lot of lap time as a result.”

Although there were signs of rain earlier on, the margin was so close to Q3’s timing that the teams anticipated that they could weather the storm. To the entire grid’s surprise, the sky turned pitch black halfway through the session, prompting the drivers to quickly finish their hot laps and drive into the pits before things got worse.

Charles Leclerc echoed Verstappen’s feelings, “To be honest today was – in my whole career I’ve never experienced anything like that. There was no rain, but the car was extremely hard to drive. I nearly came in, but I’m glad I finished my lap! It’s a very weird one for everyone out there today.”

A qualifying so unusual that Aston Martin locked out the second row, there was not a single team that wasn’t surprised at the result. Even after securing an impressive P3, Lance Stroll was critical of his mistakes, “The car was feeling good throughout the session and Q3 was really tricky. My lap was pretty bad, a few lock ups, missed some apexes but good enough for P3 which is a good result. It’s been tricky the last couple of weekends, Mexico was a tough weekend but today has been a great day.”

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With the teams and drivers facing unusual adversity in the Brazil GP Qualifying itself, fans can expect the weekend to only get better! Stay tuned to know more.