- Lewis Hamilton said with a smile that it was ‘ridiculous’ to postpone qualifying
- There has been a broader debate over the quality of wet tyres in recent times
- Qualifying for the Brazil GP is due to go ahead at 10.30am UK time on Sunday
Lewis Hamilton claimed that qualifying at the Brazil Grand Prix should have gone ahead at its scheduled time after it was rained off.
The Mercedes star interrupted F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali mid-interview to demand better wet tyres and jokingly said it was ‘ridiculous’ that they weren’t on the track.
Qualifying will take place at 10.30am UK time after it was postponed due to torrential rain and lightning in Sao Paulo, with the race to get started at 3.30pm.
A huge effort was made to get the track in a usable state but it was going dark and the FIA confirmed that qualifying at Interlagos was postponed.
‘You should’ve sent us out! This is ridiculous, we should go out! I wanna go out!’ Hamilton interjected while Domenicali was speaking live with F1TV.
Lewis Hamilton interrupted F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to question the call to push back quali
The Mercedes star demanded ‘better wet tyres or blankets’ in a good-natured encounter
Qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix was postponed due to adverse weather conditions
Staff and teams were left sweeping the rain to try and get the track ready for competition
‘If you give us better wet tyres or blankets we’d be able to run in this!
‘I’m putting you on the spot!’
Domenicali replied ‘me too’ to the star’s exhortations and they both laughed and hugged in a good-natured encounter.
However, the quality of the wet tyres has been a point of contention, particularly that of the heavily treaded full wets, one of the two compounds available alongside the lightly treaded intermediates.
The FIA has also tried to ban heating blankets for wet tyres although that plan has been criticised by drivers and pushed back until at least next season.
Lando Norris cut into Max Verstappen’s lead at the top of the standings by three points after McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri handed him the win in the sprint race.
He is now just 44 points behind the Dutch star with three race weekends remaining after this one.
Domenicali said: ‘We cannot control the weather, as you know, and it’s a pity, but the conditions are not safe to drive, as simple as that.
Lando Norris could cut the gap to Max Verstappen to 26 points, with three race weekends to follow after the Brazil GP
The qualifying session had been repeatedly put back during the day until it was called off
‘And there is a problem also [with the lack of] light that very soon will hit the track. So, unfortunately, that’s the situation we have to manage.’
Asked if qualifying will go ahead in the morning, he said: ‘That’s the plan. Now the FIA is doing the final check on what could be the right timings to organise the quality and to follow out the plan and complete the day because it is a great event.
‘We need to make sure that we can maximise everything in all the conditions that can be acceptable of course.
‘We just need to thank the fans but they will understand that racing in these conditions is impossible.’
