The heavens opened on the Autódromo José Carlos Tempo yesterday, leading to what was by some margin essentially the most dramatic qualifying session of the season. Some had been questioning if there can be a Saturday session in any respect, with the reminiscence of qualifying getting rained off and postponed till early Sunday morning two years in the past nonetheless comparatively contemporary in all our minds. For a lot of drivers, it was all somewhat educational whether or not there can be any type of qualifying in any respect; nevertheless, Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, Russell and Perez acquired grid penalties for exceeding their allotted energy unit parts.
After a hefty delay to the primary a part of the session with zero instances on the board and an early finish to the third half because the rain returned with a vengeance after having offered a quick window to set the grid, it was final yr’s champion who grabbed pole for the third yr in a row, the twentieth in his profession. Lasting two hours and half-hour, it was the second-longest qualifying session in historical past, and in addition to all of the grid penalties, the climate led to disappointment for some drivers in addition to a possibility to maneuver up the grid for others, with Liam Lawson equalling his finest qualifying ever with third, and Hulkenberg fourth, sixteen years to the day he bought pole right here.
Welcome to Interlagos, the place it by no means rains, it pours
The Autódromo José Carlos Tempo is extra generally known as Interlagos, which interprets to “between lakes.” Being positioned between the Guarapiranga and Billin reservoirs and its elevation explains why the realm is so susceptible to rain, and this weekend seems to be one other instance of that. Additionally it is an instance of how unpredictable the climate might be round right here, as rain was not anticipated to reach till the Grand Prix on Sunday.
And but, after all of the apply periods had taken place with none of them being affected by any rainfall, the floodgates opened earlier than qualifying, however it nonetheless seemed just like the session might begin as deliberate. No sooner did the inexperienced gentle come on on the finish of the pitlane than an unexpected deluge arrived on the circuit, and after lots of the drivers gingerly went out on intermediate tyres and instantly reported aquaplaning, the session was red-flagged and stayed that approach for nearly 90 minutes. Throughout this time, the security automobile and medical automobile got here out to evaluate the situations as Marshals hopelessly tried to brush water off the observe.
Issues had been capable of get again underway earlier than the daylight began to drop an excessive amount of; nevertheless, the primary, second and third rounds of qualifying had been capable of happen with none of the drivers instantly portray their vehicles midway throughout a wall. Regardless of most drivers doing a commendable job to maintain it on observe within the treacherous situations, the 2 residence heroes sadly got here a cropper, with Gabriel Bortoleto and Esteban Ocon’s alternative at Haas, Rafael Camara, each going off on the Junção nook in Q1 and Q2 respectively, inflicting an excessive amount of harm for them to proceed. Lindblad was additionally eradicated as a automobile situation meant he couldn’t proceed.
Moist tyres lastly made an look – however switching to intermediates was key
There may be a lot dialogue that has been had and plenty of jokes made in regards to the moist tyre compound, and the way they’re transported all over the world to each race solely to by no means get used, both as a result of there is no such thing as a rain, or as a result of the intermediates are sooner and don’t generate as a lot spray. With the race circuit that’s between the 2 lakes beginning to resemble a lake itself, nevertheless, utilizing them was not an choice.
However as Q2 progressed, the rain had eased off sufficient, and the moist tyres had moved sufficient of the water sitting on the circuit that switching to the sooner intermediate tyres appeared like one of the best ways to ensure having the perfect time. Fernando Alonso, the “wily previous fox” as Sky Sports activities so lovingly name him, was the primary to gamble on them, and although he was not fully comfortable along with his runs, he set a time that was adequate for eighth on the grid, along with his and Aston Martin’s first Q3 look of the season.
On the flipside, Oscar Piastri was one of many final drivers to modify from the moist tyres to the inters and was unable to set a time on them adequate to get out of the drop-zone, after Camara’s crash introduced out the pink flag, successfully ending Q2 prematurely. It was a second Q2 elimination in a row for the person from Melbourne, after a questionable tyre technique ended his qualifying early in Mexico.
Might São Paulo be F1’s first reverse grid race?
A reverse grid race, the place the quickest drivers begin on the again and the slowest drivers begin on the entrance, has typically been mooted by some followers as a solution to generate some extra pleasure in races with extra modifications of place. These folks might need lastly had their want granted, with two of the three most up-to-date polesitters beginning on the again via grid penalties.
Each Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have been despatched to the again of the grid for exceeding their allotted parts, as has Sergio Perez. Additional up, Charles Leclerc has a ten-place grid drop for a brand new inner combustion engine and George Russell, although exasperated over the decision to again off earlier than the rain returned, would by no means have began on pole as a result of he has a five-place grid penalty for a brand new ICE.
Provided that each Lewis and Max have a historical past of actually generational restoration drives at Interlagos, nobody ought to be shocked if they begin slicing via the sector like a knife via butter. World Champion Kimi Antonelli, who will get to begin on the entrance row due to George’s penalty, received’t need them to, and neither will Mercedes, on condition that they’re hoping to get the essential three factors over Ferrari with the intention to win the Constructors’ Title. What everybody, followers and drivers alike, needs, nevertheless, is a few (however not an excessive amount of) extra rain. It’s because on the subject of an equalising drive and a check of driver ability and bravado, there may be nothing fairly prefer it.
