Rain Halts São Paulo F1 Qualifying

Formula 1 · São Paulo Grand Prix

Published Saturday, 7 November, 1:45 p.m. ET (3:45 p.m. São Paulo) · Source: FIA statements, Formula 1 timing

The cars rolled out at Interlagos, the rain arrived, and Formula 1 qualifying lasted barely two minutes. Whoever starts on pole in Brazil is still unknown.

Qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix 2026 was stopped on Saturday, 7 November, after torrential rain hit Interlagos, the São Paulo track. The session began at 1:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. São Paulo) and the race director halted it with a red flag after 2 minutes 23 seconds, as rain intensified again.

Qualifying decides the starting order for Sunday’s race, so every minute of delay matters to teams and fans. No driver set a timed lap before the cars were called back to the pits.

Rain Arrived Just As The Cars Left The Pits

A thunderstorm hit the circuit after final practice, and a downpour arrived as qualifying was due to start at 3:00 p.m. in São Paulo. Most drivers waited on intermediate tyres, the treaded type made for damp tracks, and several took full wet-weather tyres.

Drivers reported aquaplaning, when tyres ride on a film of water, soon after Q1, the first of qualifying’s three segments, began. The race director, Rui Marques of the FIA, Formula 1’s governing body, stopped the session.

What The FIA Said About Restarting

At 1:09 p.m. ET (3:09 p.m. São Paulo), nine minutes after the scheduled start, it was announced that the rain was expected to continue for about 10 minutes. The FIA said the medical car, the safety vehicle that inspects the track, would go out once conditions improved to check the standing water.

Marshals, the track officials, were then working at several corners to clear water. The FIA later said the current low-level rain was expected to continue for the foreseeable future, and no return time had been announced by about 1:38 p.m. ET (3:38 p.m. São Paulo).

Interlagos Has Done This Before

Wet qualifying is not new here. In 2024, heavy rain pushed qualifying to Sunday morning, and Lando Norris took pole after a session with five red flags.

In 2023, a storm ended the final segment early and Max Verstappen kept the pole lap he had set before the downpour. Those cases show the options open to race officials: wait, move the session to Sunday, or end it early.

For 2026 the FIA has not said which it will choose, and the race itself is still set for Sunday at noon ET (2:00 p.m. São Paulo).

What It Means for US Readers

US fans who plan around the 1:00 p.m. ET start should watch for an FIA update, since the session could resume later today or move to Sunday. In the US, Formula 1 is shown on Apple TV, so any change will show up in the stream schedule there.

US clocks went back on 1 November, so São Paulo is now two hours ahead of New York. Any new time from the FIA will be converted to ET on this page and on our Interlagos guide.

What Is Not Known

It is not known whether qualifying will resume today, move to Sunday morning or be cancelled, so the grid is not set. We also have no word yet from the Interlagos operator on conditions at the track.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is São Paulo Grand Prix qualifying postponed?

Not yet. The session started on time, was stopped by a red flag after 2 minutes 23 seconds, and had not restarted by 1:38 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. São Paulo). The FIA has announced no new time.

Why was qualifying stopped?

Torrential rain hit Interlagos as the cars left the pits, and the race director, the official who runs the session, stopped it. Standing water on the track made it unsafe to continue.

Sources: FIA; Formula 1; F1 São Paulo organiser; Interlagos qualifying coverage in Portuguese and English.