Could rain shake-up F1 title fight? Unsettled forecast for Brazil
Eyes will be on the skies at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as the F1 title fight hots up.
Early F1 weather forecasts have pointed to a weekend featuring unsettled conditions and possible rain at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Interlagos has a history of title-defining moments and is known for its unpredictable weather conditions.
Heavy rain last year saw qualifying moved to Sunday morning, with the grand prix taking place earlier in the day due to the threat of torrential downpours.
Rain has disrupted qualifying in recent years in Sao Paulo, and this weekend could be a similar story, if the early forecasts are anything to go by.
According to the FIA’s forecast, Friday morning is set to be dry, but thundery showers could hit in the afternoon and evening. The official risk of rain stands at 40%, with temperatures set to be between 25 and 28 degrees celsius.
Wet weather looks set to impact Saturday’s action. There is a high chance of thundery showers in the morning, with conditions set to improve in the afternoon.
As it stands, both the sprint race and grand prix qualifying could take place in wet conditions.
Sunday’s grand prix currently looks set to be dry, with the threat of rain only at 20%. Conditions will be significantly cooler than Friday with temperatures of 18 degrees celsius expected.
Could this give Verstappen the upper hand?
Well-timed rain showers could certainly play into the hands of Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
Verstappen produced a performance for the ages in last year’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix as he claimed a remarkable fightback victory from 17th on the grid in a chaotic race affected by treacherous conditions.
The result all but ended Lando Norris’s slim title hopes and proved to be a pivotal moment in Verstappen ultimately sealing his fourth consecutive drivers’ world title in 2024.
This time around, it is Verstappen doing the hunting. The Dutchman remains in the three-way title battle, 36 points behind championship leader Norris.
Norris claimed a dominant victory last time out in Mexico City to move one point clear of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, whose form struggles continued.
After the race in Mexico, Verstappen said: "I lost 10 points to Lando, so as I said before the weekend, everything needs to go perfect to win.
"And this weekend didn't go perfect. So that's your answer. I think it's going to be tough, but let's see what we can do in other tracks.
"I hope, of course, we won't experience a weekend like this again, but it still shows that we're not quick in every scenario. And that's what we need to understand, I think, a bit better."
A sprint weekend format throws yet more potential jeopardy into the mix.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
