If the qualifying session, postponed from Saturday, is also unable to proceed on Sunday in Brazil, Max Verstappen may face a potential sporting disaster. The race management could then decide to use the final standings of the only free practice session as the starting grid. This means, including a grid penalty of five places, that the Dutchman would have to start in twentieth and last place. Verstappen will therefore be hoping for a dry Sunday morning in São Paulo so that the qualifying session can proceed under any circumstances.
The qualifying session was postponed until Sunday morning local time (time still unknown) due to heavy rainfall causing unsafe conditions at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. The race management decided, after multiple delays, to move the session to Sunday. If for any reason there is again no qualifying session, a problem arises. The regulations do not provide a clear solution for determining the order on the starting grid during a sprint weekend like in Brazil. The race management is then free to base it on another session. This could be the sprint qualifying session or the free practice session.
Problem
In the latter case, Verstappen has a major problem. He will receive a grid penalty of five places regardless, which is accounted for by the use of a new internal combustion engine (ICE). However, since the Dutchman finished fifteenth in the free practice session, this would mean he would have to start the race from the last place. This would be a huge blow in the title fight with Lando Norris, who would start from pole position in that case.
In short: Verstappen will be hoping that A) it remains dry on Sunday and the qualifying session can therefore take place ‘as usual’ and B) if that is not the case, the stewards choose, for example, the sprint qualifying session as the starting grid for the race and not the free practice session.
The chance of a sporting disaster for Verstappen is thankfully relatively small, but it is only ruled out once the qualifying session has actually begun. The weather forecasts are currently (still) favorable for him: according to the official FIA weather report, the chance of rain during Sunday morning in São Paulo is currently only 20 percent.
