SAO PAULO (AP) — The paddock at Interlagos smelled of scrambled eggs and coffee early Sunday morning, minutes ahead of the start of qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix later in the afternoon.
Rain eased enough in Sao Paulo so the session could take place, but forecasts for the Formula One race suggest the track will be wet when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris resume their fight for the drivers’ championship.
Qualifying started in low grip conditions at 7:30 a.m. local time (1030 GMT), and the start of the Grand Prix was brought forward from 2 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. (1530 GMT). All drivers set off on wet tires.
Many drivers arrived at Interlagos around 6 a.m. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. took the time to serve coffee for team staffers as they prepared for qualifying.
Organizers said qualifying on Sunday had only happened five times in F1 history and a German driver has secured pole position on every occasion. The most recent was at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix, with four-time champion Sebastian Vettel starting from the front.
The FIA announced qualifying had been postponed Saturday after a two-hour delay, with no cars having the chance to clock any laps. It said in a statement that the decision was taken due to the lack of visibility caused by the level of rain, “with a lot of standing water on parts of the circuit which renders conditions unsafe.”
Many of the more than 60,000 fans that came to Interlagos on Saturday did not appear for qualifying Sunday morning.
The gap between Norris and Verstappen, with four grands prix and a final sprint race to the end of the season, is now 44 points. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc also has a long shot at the title.
Organizers are yet to decide whether the tribute to legendary three-time champion Ayrton Senna will take place on Sunday. The late Brazilian’s title-winning McLaren is scheduled to be driven by one of his biggest fans, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
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