Summary
All Nico Rosberg needs to do in Abu Dhabi in two weeks is take a minimum of third place and he will be crowned world champion for the first time. Hamilton must win and hope Rosberg finishes in fourth if he is to win his third successive world title.
This could have been so different. Hamilton was struggling to see out of his visor at the beginning of the race today, and Rosberg somehow avoided a spin and crash on lap 46. But it’s nicely poised. Join us in two weeks for the season finale.
Thanks for reading, and for your emails and tweets. Bye!
This race was crucial in the context of the world championship, Rosberg finishing 11 seconds behind Hamilton – his lead over the Brit is now 12 points going into the final race.
1st Hamilton
2nd Rosberg
3rd Verstappen
4th Perez
5th Vettel
6th Sainz
7th Hulkenberg
8th Ricciardo
9th Nasr
10th Alonso
11th Bottas
12th Ocon
13th Kvyat
14th Magnusssen
15th Wehrlein
16th Button
Did not finish: Grosjean, Ericsson, Raikkonen, Palmer, Massa, Gutierrez
But it will be remembered for the conditions – five safely cars, two red flags – and the brilliance of a 19-year-old Dutchman.
It's P3 for @Max33Verstappen! 👏🏆 A great drive to recover from P14 after his final stop to take the podium #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/eTyIcq7cfO
— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) November 13, 2016
@michaelbutler18 The Dutch F1 Commentators tend to get carried away - sure you wouldn't hear this on the BBC.https://t.co/Tx0sib5kmb
— Joseph Shinners (@JosephShinners) November 13, 2016
… or at the Guardian, Joseph.
Updated
Lewis Hamilton wins the Brazilian Grand Prix!
Lap 71: Rosberg in second, so we go to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi! Verstappen comes home to claim a quite remarkable third place. I’ve never seen driving like it, especially in these conditions.
“Shame for Verstappen it’s unlikely to rain in the last race,” emails Peter van Balen.
🏁 POINTS SCORERS 🏁
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
1 HAM
2 ROS
3 VES
4 PER
5 VET
6 SAI
7 HUL
8 RIC
9 NAS
10 ALO#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/GfPlLEcPFl
Updated
Lap 70: Verstappen has taken third. He held the inside line over Perez for three corners, and the Mexican eventually yielded. The Brazilian crowd roar. They are loving this, especially with Massa out of the race.
Lap 69: Hamilton still leading this race, Rosberg still second. Eleven seconds between them.
Come on boys...
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) November 13, 2016
Just bring it home...#F1 #BrazilGP
Updated
Lap 68: Verstappen into fourth! Down the inside of Sainz and three seconds behind Perez in third. Three laps to go, three seconds. Absurd driving from the 19-year-old.
Updated
Lap 67: Now Verstappen has overtaken Vettel. First he tries on the outside, which Vettel defends, but the German can do nothing about the next corner, which Verstappen takes on the inside, forcing Vettel onto the grass.
“He pushed me off the track. I was a little bit ahead with my nose and he pushed me.”
Sour grapes from Vettel, nothing wrong with that. Just fantastic driving.
Updated
Lap 66: And you can add Verstappen to that mix, he’s overtaken Hulkenberg into sixth. I’ve never seen driving like this. Racing through those puddles like they are nothing.
Updated
Lap 65: Perez is looking to defend his third position. Sainz in fourth and Vettel in fifth bearing down on the Spaniard!
Lap 64: It looks as though we’re going to make it to the end of this race at 71 laps. Still a lot of racing left, and a lot of time for Verstappen to continue this charge. Could he make an unlikely podium?
Updated
Lap 63: Gutierrez has retired. The Mexican is absolutely furious, flinging his gloves to the floor back in the pits. He’s being released at the end of this season, remember.
Updated
Lap 62: All the action is with Verstappen though, who is now in seventh. The talent! The talent!
LAP 62/71
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
VES cruises past OCO and then NAS!
RED BULL: "Well done mate, the next one is HUL" 📻#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/Y0PGv3aUgu
Lap 61: At the top of the field, Hamilton has got a five-second lead over Rosberg. Looking comfortable.
Updated
Lap 60: Hulkenberg takes sixth, with a great move round the outside. Nasr drops to seventh. Verstappen meanwhile, has moved past his team-mate Ricciardo and then Ocon into eighth! He is a machine!
Updated
Lap 59: Nasr in an almighty battle with Hulkenberg for sixth.
LAP 59/71
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
Fingers crossed at @SauberF1Team
NAS battling HUL for P6#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/V6X3N2MyMv
Updated
Lap 58: Perez is third for Force India, what a drive he’s had today.
.@MassaFelipe19 has had to go to the medical centre as a precaution following the sensor readings in his accident #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/trq56LJwoC
— WILLIAMS RACING (@WilliamsRacing) November 13, 2016
Lap 57: Verstappen is on the move, up into 11th past Bottas.
Updated
Lap 56: We’re racing again, the safety car is off the track. Hamilton leads, with Rosberg just behind! Alonso spins, but recovers. He’s at the back of the field in 17th.
Updated
Lap 55: Verstappen has pitted to come off the intermediates. They obviously expect to see the race go the full distance of 71 laps. He’s now in 12th, seems like a second ago that he was passing Rosberg into second!
With conditions worsening, Max and Daniel pit under the safety car to switch to the @pirellisport extremes. #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/Wm6PmnRZ5P
— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) November 13, 2016
Updated
We are now at full points
Lap 54: Fifty three laps completed. “How many crashes do they want to see? It’s impossible out here, ” says Rosberg.
“Oh man, it’s like a boat,” exclaims Verstappen. “We are just waiting for a crash!”
Updated
Lap 53: “The safety car is going so slow that I’m struggling to keep the temperature in these tyres,” says Hamilton.
Ricciardo has pitted to fit full wets again.
Updated
Lap 52: Safety car still out there, here’s an email from Damon Moffatt.
“I’m guessing it will be dry in Dubai for the final grand prix so cannot see Nico Rosberg so long as his car holds up not finishing worse than second. Verstappen seems to be the race driver actually able to take on the Mercedes cars though and he could be very desirable in the years to come.”
Updated
Lap 51: Some of the Brazilian marshals out on the course are in tears at the news of Massa’s crash. The driver has walked back to the pit lane, where he receives a guard of honour from the other teams. Mercedes, Ferrari and all among those to hug him, as are his family. The entry to the pit lane is now entry, so let’s hope that nobody comes hurtling down there. There’s a lot of people out there hugging Felipe.
Applause to Felipe 👏🏽 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/BzwdssJTWf
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 13, 2016
Updated
Lap 50: Remember we’ve got to get to 54 laps for their to be full points awarded, and we’ve got about 30 minutes to complete. So it looks as though there is going to be full points. Good news for Hamilton.
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION (LAP 50/71): All set for a dramatic finale at Interlagos as the drivers queue up behind the Safety Car #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/AzmCJLpSFv
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
Updated
Lap 49: Massa’s crash is really going to hurt Hamilton. Hamilton’s lead of 25 seconds over Rosberg has been wiped out, as has his 46 second lead over Verstappen in fifth.
Updated
Safety car deployed again!
Lap 48: Massa spins out! He’s crashed in his final race on home soil. That’s terrible for the Brazilian, but what does that mean in the context of this race. The safety car is out once more! Massa is OK, he gets out the crowd and waves to the crowd, before holding up a Brazilian flag to the adoring crowd. He’s wet through.
Not the way @MassaFelipe19 wanted to end his last #BrazilGP
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
But he soaks up the applause and cheers of the fans 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/0p2VrcJWAA
Updated
Lap 47: Verstappen in fifth. Ricciardo in 10th.
FASTEST SECTORS (LAP 45/71)
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
Red Bull 💪
Red Bull 💪
Red Bull 💪#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/MXw6PFkPsd
Updated
Lap 46: Rosberg half-spins! Ooooooh, he came so close to crashing coming into turn 12, but corrects himself and continues down the home straight unhindered. That was so nearly a championship defining moment. Caution is the name of the game here for Rosberg, he’d take second at this point, currently 18 seconds behind Hamilton, who has no spray to contend with.
Updated
Lap 45: Vettel takes sixth! Nasr fights back, but to no avail!
Lap 44: Pit stops for both Red Bull. Verstappen is now on the intermediates, and he re-emerges in fifth. Ricciardo does the same, takes his penalty, and comes out in 11th.
Meanwhile @danielricciardo pits on Lap 41 for inters and to take his 5 second penalty. He returns to the field in P11. #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/7X1vaA1OXx
— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) November 13, 2016
Updated
Lap 43: Vettel comes down the inside of Alonso to take seventh! This is vintage driving from the German, we haven’t seen those moves for a while!
Lap 42: If Nico comes 3rd today and Lewis first the title will be decided in Abu Dhabi correct?” emails Shivanee Ravi. “And in Abu Dhabi if Lewis is first and Nico is second the championship goes to nico right?”
That’s correct.
Lap 41: Heavy rain is expected in five minutes or so …
Updated
Lap 40: It seems the intermediate tyres are working. Massa is the quickest driver on the track at present, and Button, also on the intermediates, is going well. Hamilton’s tyres are fading, apparently. He still leads, with Rosberg in third.
Lap 39: “Well saved there Max, says Red Bull’s Christian Horner.
“Yep, heartbeat went a bit higher there,” replies the driver.
LAP 39/71
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
VES is off! How did he keep it out of the barriers?
Max: "My heartbeat went a bit higher there" 😅#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/DSuFjxbXdS
Updated
Lap 38: Verstappen spins coming into the home straight! He slides sideways down the tracks, looks destined to hit the barriers, but somehow corrects his car, avoids the barriers by a few inches, and continues down the straight unhindered. Verstappen did lose speed, and Rosberg comes haring up the inside, but Verstappen defends his position at the first corner, to keep the world championship leader in third. What defence by the 19-year-old. Amazing save!
Updated
Lap 37: Vettel is on the march! He charges past Ocon on the straight to take ninth. Now 1.7 secs to Alonso. Meanwhile Button is changing to the intermediates, but even after that change, the Brit is still struggling.
LAP 36/71
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
BUT in for tyres... The 2009 champ bolts on a set of inters
"I think we have to try it," says JB 📻 #BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/kDEPcROdiU
Updated
Lap 36: Wehrlein is fading fast: Bottas and Hulkenberg pass him to relegate him to 13th place. What a race this is turning out to be.
Lap 35: Verstappen records the fastest lap of the race, he’s getting close to within DRS zone behind Hamilton.
UPDATE: LAP 35@LewisHamilton P1@Max33Verstappen +1.0s@nico_rosberg +3.1s#F1 #BrazilGP
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) November 13, 2016
Updated
Lap 34: That was some move by Verstappen. The kid is just 19 years old, remember. Vettel moves into 10th, usurping Wehrlein, he’s into the points.
Much as we hate to say it...
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) November 13, 2016
That was a mighty fine move...#F1 #BrazilGP
Updated
Lap 33: Ricciardo takes Sainz to take fifth! The Red Bulls are flying out there. Remember power is less of a factor out there, the bravest drivers are being rewarded! Ricciardo has a five-second penalty though, remember.
Updated
Verstappen overtakes Rosberg to take second!
Lap 32: And we’re racing! Hamilton first into the first corner, Rosberg second, Verstappen in third. The spray is everywhere! But wait … Verstappen takes the wide line out of turn three, and out of Hamilton’s spray, and he takes second spot! Wow!
Updated
Lap 31: The safety car will come in at the end of this lap. Verstappen is getting very close to overtaking Rosberg. This is going to be fascinating…
Lap 30: “We can race,” says Verstappen. “The track is maybe a bit worse, but we can race.”
Updated
Lap 29: More heavy rain expected in 15 minutes or so. The amount of spray is already frightening. Jolyon Palmer said that he couldn’t see past his own steering wheel before his crash into Kvyat. It doesn’t look as though it’s going to get better. Fingers crossed.
Updated
The cars come out of the pit lane once more, for the second restart. Once again, we’re behind the safety car. I hope we’re not behind it for long, but it will definitely be for more than one lap.
Updated
Weather report from the FIA. “Light to moderate rain will continue over the track, with slightly heavier rain passing by to the north-east.”
Race to restart in five minutes.
That’s 6.02pm GMT.
BREAKING: #BrazilGP will restart at 16:02 local time ⏰ #F1 pic.twitter.com/aAsE2xWVjD
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
All cars must have extreme tyres fitted at the race resumption #BrazilGP
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 13, 2016
Updated
They should just put on the #BrazilianGP from 1996. Which I won! In total saturation. #F1
— Damon Hill (@HillF1) November 13, 2016
You can read Paul Weaver’s interview with Damon Hill here.
The FIA have told the teams that they are not happy to continue the race in the current conditions. At the moment we have an indefinite delay, despite it being a bit brighter since the drivers came off the track.
Whilst we wait, have a go on this:
“I don’t know why we’re stopping. This is extreme wet conditions, this is normal,” says Hamilton. But then, he would say that. He doesn’t want half points.
We’ve got two hours and 20 minutes to complete about an hour and eight minutes of racing, we’ve completed 28 laps of the 71 so far, and the drivers must get to 54 laps for there to be full points. The clock is ticking.
Updated
RED FLAG!
Lap 28: Race suspended again! In the stands, there is booing, and there is a sea of fans with their thumbs pointed downwards. It appears that some are leaving. Is this race ever going to get going again?
Red.
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) November 13, 2016
Flag.#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/QnwkUiNSio
Updated
Lap 27: At the beginning of this race, Hamilton was complaining of lots of water coming into his helmet, through the top of his visor. He’s now changed his helmet, and tells the radio: “We should be going, Charlie.”
Back to his original look - @LewisHamilton has switched to his usual helmet design during the red flag break #BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/1Pq74pIo9K
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
Lap 26: It looks as though Verstappen has accidentally overtaken Rosberg, with the safety car still out there. It remains to be seen whether he’s going to be penalised for that. Probably, I would guess.
Lap 25: Heavier rain is expected in 20 minutes or so, and Vettel reports that there are now “rivers running down the hill” on the home straight.
Lap 24: Renault’s Palmer has retired! He never emerged from the pit lane after the red flag, apparently due to damage caused with a collision with Kvyat. Renault obviously weren’t able to repair the car in time.
Replays show that there was a significant coming together of the two cars on the home straight, with Palmer careering into the rear front wheel of Kvyat. It’s surprising to see the Russian still out there, to be honest.
Updated
Lap 23: Hulkenberg pits! Whilst the safety car comes out! And all he does is to fit another set of wet tyres, which means there must have been a puncture. Hulkenberg drops from fourth to 15th, with Perez moving up to fourth and Sainz moving up to fifth. That’s awful luck for Hulkenberg, who was in sniffing distance of the podium.
Lap 22: “Heavy rain expected”, Perez is told, for 55 minutes. Remember if we don’t get to 54 laps, then only half points will be awarded to the drivers. The longer that the safety car stays out there, the more likely that we won’t make it to 54 laps.
The cars re-emerge onto the tracks from the pit lane, behind the safety car, who – it has been confirmed – will be doing more than one lap. It looks a lot more dry out there, but Ocon says over the radio that “the visibility is very poor, more than when we stopped.”
We’re about one minute away from getting underway again. Teams have been burning off fuel that they don’t now need, due to the emergence of the yellow and red flags, to keep their cars as light and fast as possible.
Updated
Posted without comment.
☔️ @LewisHamilton, forever the gentleman 😃 #BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/Eh8eB9MZEk
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
The race will be restarted in 10 minutes.
It’s still raining, but less heavily.
All cars must be on full wet tires #BrazilGP
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 13, 2016
Updated
For those of you asking: #Kimi7 is ok 👍🏼#BrazilGP
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 13, 2016
It’s the straight line driving that is the problem, particularly on the home straight up the hill after turn 12, where there is standing water. The corners, according to Ericsson, “everything is fine.”
By my calculations, we’ve had the safety car out on the track for 14 of the 21 laps. So in just seven laps of proper racing, we’ve already had a multitude of crashes and incidents. If the conditions stay as they are, and rain is expected for the rest of the afternoon, it looks a serious possibility that we might not get a proper finish to this race.
The race will be given until 6pm local time before the race is suspended for good. It is currently just gone 3pm, so plenty of time for the rain to clear.
Updated
Penalty for Ricciardo! Penalty for Massa!
Ricciardo has received a five-second time penalty for entering the pit lane when the safety car was out. Correct decision, IMO.
Massa has also been given a five-second time penalty for overtaking whilst the safety car was still out.
Updated
Well this is entertaining, if nothing else. Let’s just hope that this doesn’t come at the expense of a serious accident. So far, we’ve had three spin outs: Grosjean pre-race, Ericsson and Kimi Raikkonen, all exiting the race. Vettel also spun, but recovered. He’s currently in 15th.
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION (AT TIME OF RED FLAG, LAP 21/71)#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/jUbGsrq2i3
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
Updated
Hulkenberg picked up some serious damage to his front wing from the debris off Raikkonen’s car. Force India have brought down a brand new front wing for the German during this interim.
We’ve had 21 laps of 71 completed then. Remember we’ve got to have 75% of laps completed for drivers to be awarded full points, which basically means that we’ve got to get to 54/71 laps completed. Until that happens, only half points will be awarded.
If things stay as they are, with Hamilton leading and Rosberg in second, Rosberg will have a 15.5-point advantage over Hamilton going into the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
Updated
The drivers are out of their cars, helmets off, so it looks as though we’re in for a lengthy break. From next season, teams will not be allowed to change their tyres under a red flag, but as things stand they can, so expect teams to make changes here.
Terrifyingly, Raikkonen was on the WET TYRES. God help those on the intermediates.
Lightning quick reactions from Esteban Ocon
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
That's Kimi's spinning Ferrari in the spray#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/ra247ZRpuv
Updated
That was perilous, and Raikkonen is extremely lucky that somebody didn’t hit him at 200mph. It was pure luck that his car didn’t end up in the middle of the track.
“This is terrible,” says Vettel through his radio. “I nearly crashed into Kimi on the straight, couldn’t see anything!”
Updated
Lap 20: We’re racing again! But 10 seconds later, Kimi Raikkonen spins out of control on the home straight, careering dangerously across the line of Verstappen and Hulkenberg, just avoiding the Red Bull car, and crashes into the barrier, sending a shower of debris across the track. A red flag has been deployed: race suspended! There is far too much debris on the track.
Updated
Lap 19: The safety car will come off the track at the end of this lap. The pit lane entry is now open again.
GAINS AND LOSSES (LAP 17): SAI, NAS and OCO have made up 33 places between them during a rain-sodden opening phase of the #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/FrGihiJ8XB
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
Updated
Lap 18: Ricciardo is under investigation for entering the pit lane whilst the safety car is out. Massa has also been placed under investigation for overtaking too early after the initial safety car, at the beginning of the race, was taken off.
Lap 17: The safety car is still out.
“The track is way too wet now,” says Magnussen.
“On intermediate tyres?” replies the Renault team.
“Way too wet, period,” says the Dane.
Magnussen has just pitted again to put the wet tyres BACK ON.
Updated
Lap 16: Christian Horner is claiming that Ricciardo may have had a puncture, so that his entry into the pit lane might be allowed on safety grounds. Both Red Bull cars are on the intermediate tyres, and they are quicker in these conditions, but a lot more liable to aquaplane. As for Hamilton and Rosberg …
Our boys both remain out on their @pirellisport X-Wets
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) November 13, 2016
Too much standing water and aquaplaning the feedback from the cockpit... #BrazilGP
Lap 15: The safety car is still out. Both Red Bull cars are now on the intermediate tyres, which is a big gamble.
Lap 14: Ricciardo also pits! Oh, that’s definitely not allowed, he entered the pit lane well after the safety car being deployed. Ricciardo will surely get a penalty for that?! If he doesn’t that’s a big advantage.
Lap 13: Ericsson spins out, at exactly the point where Grosjean crashed pre-race – he was on the intermediate tyres, which seems like suicide out there. He’s out of the race, his front left wheel hanging on by a thread after a collision with the barrier. The safety car has been deployed! Verstappen needed to take evasive action to avoid Ericsson’s car, and he comes into the pit lane. Is that allowed? It’s touch and go as to whether he had time to react to the safety car announcement.
Lap 12: Rosberg has settled, and he records his fastest lap. Verstappen is hot on his heels, but the German is looking good.
Lap 11: Vettel spins ! He completely loses control, spins into the grass and then back onto the track and ends up stationary facing backwards in full view of Ricciardo as the Australian speeds past him into fifth. Vettel recovers and pits, but there’s a problem with the wheel gun and Vettel eventually re-emerges in 19th place!
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION (LAP 11)
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
HAM in control in P1
OCO up in P10 and in the points #BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/r3baIdVJia
Updated
Lap 10: Let me know of anything that will get me out of the spray. I’m not even flat down the straight due to visibility. Button has also changed onto the intermediate tyres.
Lap 9: Magnussen changes onto intermediate tyres straight away. He’s too far back to make a real impression on the podium, but how he gets on will give crucial information to Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.
Lap 8: Verstappen takes Raikkonen on the first turn. He came from so far back! What a move from the teenager, and he’s now bearing down on Rosberg in second!
LIVE from cockpit 7️⃣...#F1 BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/3UFUHKhK8V
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) November 13, 2016
Updated
We are racing! Safety car is off the track!
Lap 7: There is so much water coming up the hill into the home straight, so that final turn is absolutely treacherous.”
Lap 6: “There is no much water coming in my helmet, into my eyes. When I stop, can somebody check the top of my visor”, says our leader Hamilton.
Lap 5: No update on the cars, as yet. It’s interesting to see if drivers will pursue a different line into the corners to avoid the spray behind. “It’s easily ready to race”, says Magnussen.
Lap 4: I think we’ll be racing properly in two laps’ time. “It’s possible to race, but it’s on the limit, says Sainz, who starts today in 15th.
Lap 4/71 under the safety car, cleaning the pit stop position pic.twitter.com/WKnaoyFZ2c
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 13, 2016
Updated
Lap 3: We’re still under the safety car. “The corners that really matter are turn five and the final corner. Obviously they’re blind”, says Button.
Lap 2: Hamilton slows things right down, and for a minute it looks as though there’s going to be a pile-up behind, but Ricciardo just manages to avoid running into the back of Raikkonen.
We're underway!
Albeit under a safety car, but the first of the 71 laps today has started. “I can’t really see anything, behind the safety car” says Hamilton. “Can we hang a bit further back, I can barely see the lights.”
Vettel is also on the radio: “There’s a lot of water on the track, even on the straights between turns three and four. That wasn’t the case earlier.”
Updated
The only other time that we’ve had a safety car start in Brazil was in 2003, when Giancarlo Fisichella romped home from eighth on the grid. That remains the furthest back a winner has ever come from to win at Interlagos. One thing is for sure, there will be plenty of overtaking today.
The true Brit that he is, Hamilton receives a weather update from his team over the radio:
10 mins like this [heavy rain], half an hour of lighter rain, and then heavier rain after this.
Doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing the slick tyres then, at any point.
Race will start behind the safety car. #Cinturato blue on every car: these evacuate 65 litres of water per second at 300kph.
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) November 13, 2016
10 minute delay to the start; which will be on full wet tyres. No obligation to use any of the slick compounds now, so free choice all round
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) November 13, 2016
Updated
The race will start behind a safety car!
Which is hugely disappointing, even if it has been done for safety reasons. There will be spray and moisture regardless of a safety car. It does allow Hamilton to have an easier start, and the track a bit more time to dry out. Not sure Rosberg will mind that too much, though, as he’s still got to worry about Raikkonen and Verstappen behind him.
Updated
The race will now start at 4.10pm GMT, as officials clear Grosjean’s car off the track.
BREAKING: START DELAYED BY 10 MINUTES#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/b9Ug4SQDfC
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
Do get in touch with any of your thoughts. Email michael.butler@theguardian.com or tweet me @michaelbutler18.
It is 22 years to the day since a German driver first won a world championship, Michael Schumacher in 1994 in his Benetton B194, which you could buy in 2009 on eBay, apparently.
Can Rosberg mark that anniversary with another championship win?
All of the teams have erected a collapsable tent – Guardian reference alert: the kind you might see at a farmer’s market – above their spot on the grid, to ensure that their car gets as much traction off the start.
“Safety car start would be better I think, and I don’t know why my car is positioned on the line there” says Verstappen. His rear wheels are placed on the chequered line, which is apparently painted onto the track using non-slip paint.
“I think standing start is better, as we’re on a hill and it’s a short run to the first corner. Don’t ask the drivers,” says Niki Lauda.
Meanwhile, in the garage...
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) November 13, 2016
Did someone mention November Rain? 🎶🌧#F1 BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/yh0OG0vBKd
Updated
Grosjean has crashed on the installation lap!
He’s out of the race, and is forced to walk through the drizzle. He’s fine, but will be gutted with that. With standing water on the track, Groskean’s car span out of control and he ended up careering backwards into the tyres. This is going to be absolute carnage.
Another look at GRO's accident 👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
It's wet out there... 🌧#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/KiPYM2BicT
Grosjean's crash #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/OzdkHYskRi
— Gianlu D'Alessandro (@Gianludale27) November 13, 2016
Grosjean’s crash does give rise to one possibility, that we start the race under a safety car. Let’s hope that’s not the case.
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Brazil’s greatest ever driver, Aryton Senna, is buried just a few moments from the Interlagos track in Cemitério do Morumbi is a cemetery in São Paulo. Hamilton wore a special helmet tin qualifying. This was Hamilton’s 60th pole position, only Senna (65) and Schumacher (68) have more than the Brit.
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We mentioned Felipe Massa’s 2008 heartbreak, and the Brazilian will hang up his gloves (or is it helmet?!) at the end of this season, making today his final outing in front of his home fans. He starts today in a disappointing 13th placed, his lowest ever position on the grid in Brazil, but has some special custom gear to make this a day to remember.
The rear of his car has been inscribed with Obrigado (thank you in Portuguese) and he will wear a special suit today. His helmet is adorned with special memories from his 15-year career in the sport, including his his maiden victory in Turkey and first win in Brazil in 2006.
Massa to run special helmet in last home race https://t.co/YJwDdzFLvc #Autointerlagos #Massafelipe19 pic.twitter.com/VxTb9mbgJB
— F1totheMaX #GoMaX (@F1totheMaX) November 13, 2016
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Look, I wasn’t lying.
And here's the current scene out on the circuit at @InterlagosTrack
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2016
A fair bit of surface water out there and more rain forecast #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/RUELEKYGca
Race day...
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) November 13, 2016
And it's damp...
To say the least...
You do not want to miss the #BrazilGP folks!
This has all the signs of a classic! #F1 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/rYz2N1ZQar
Pitlane or swimming pool? Looks like it's a Full-Wets kind of day. 🌧🌧 pic.twitter.com/aUzDmjQCvl
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) November 13, 2016
Preamble
It’s humid (about 95%). It’s hot. Rain is in the air. And there’s a world championship title on the line. Welcome to Interlagos for the 2016 Brazil Grand Prix.
Hamilton is on pole, having finished a 10th of a second clear of Rosberg in qualifying. The German does not need to win this race – even if Hamilton takes the chequered flag here and in two weeks time in Abu Dhabi, Rosberg can finish second and third and still take his first ever world championship. And so, whilst this race is all about the Mercedes pair, others are going to have to make their mark here, usurping Rosberg, if Hamilton is to stand a chance of his third successive world title. Could the Ferrari fellas, Kimi Raikkonen (third) and Sebastian Vettel (fifth), or the Red Bull boys, Max Verstappen (fourth) and Daniel Ricciardo (sixth) play a crucial part today?
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION (END OF #QUALI)
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 12, 2016
HAM edges ROS in the battle for pole
Just +0.102s between the two title rivals#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/KsFXTxhWJs
Nico Rosberg, 19 points ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton with two races remaining this season, will win the title if:
- He wins the race
- He is second and Hamilton is fourth of lower
- He finishes third and Hamilton is sixth or lower
- He finishes fourth and Hamilton is eighth or lower
- He finishes fifth and Hamilton is ninth or lower
- He finishes sixth and Hamilton is 10th or lower
A lot will depend on the weather. The narrow, bumpy track of Interlagos becomes wholly unpredictable in the wet, and guess what … it’s raining. Hamilton has never won here in Brazil but did win his first world title here in 2008, his dramatic last-lap overtake of fifth-placed Timo Glock owing much to the rain, as Glock became a sitting duck on dry tyres when the heavens opened. Hamilton took fifth, denying Felipe Massa at the last. This year, Rosberg has a lot more to lose, and he will not be relishing the volatile conditions, particularly with Verstappen snapping at his heels. Here’s what Jenson Button thinks about today’s race:
If it’s wet here, I back Lewis for the title, if it’s dry, Nico. I think the idea of a wet race will worry Nico and then the pressure is there, definitely. I qualified 14th in 2009 [his championship year]. It was wet and I thought any little movement would be disaster. One little slip is enough to cost you a second, or you put it in the wall. Mercedes are that good a bad result for them is second but if it’s wet it definitely mixes it up. I think the Red Bulls will be very strong in the wet. Power doesn’t matter so much then. It could be really exciting.
A lot will also depend on the first corner. Hamilton has been slower off the line this season than Rosberg.
Oh, it’s ON.
Lights out: 4pm GMT, 2pm in Brazil.
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