Heavy rain halts Brazilian GP qualifying after two minutes

Qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix in São Paulo was still suspended when the safety car returned to the circuit. Conditions had worsened over the preceding minutes, making a quick restart unlikely. Race control had stopped the session with a red flag after just two minutes, before any driver set a lap time.

Rain had begun more than an hour and a half before the scheduled start. Some drivers had opted for full wets, while others were called back to the pits. Race control judged the conditions too treacherous to continue.

The first safety-car check briefly suggested an improvement: the rain appeared to ease, and marshals were clearing standing water from several corners. The FIA later reported too much water in turns 2, 3 and 5. Rain was still too heavy for the track to dry sufficiently, particularly in the wetter corners.

Sunset was expected around 18:23 local time (22:23 in the Netherlands). The 19:50 update estimated that qualifying needed to get under way within about an hour to finish in daylight.