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Formula 1 Brazilian GP

Brazilian Grand Prix race day

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Welcome to Autosport's live coverage of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The start has been delayed 10 minutes owing to the adverse weather conditions.
The rain has already claimed a victim, even before the start. Romain Grosjean crashed his Haas on the way to the grid, losing control coming up the hill after the final corner.
Team boss Gunther Steiner describes it as "a real shame" and a "wasted chance" given Grosjean achieved Haas' best ever grid position (seventh) in qualifying yesterday.
This was the story of qualifying, with Lewis Hamilton beating title rival and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg to pole.

Lewis Hamilton beats Nico Rosberg to Brazilian Grand Prix pole

Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix, a tenth of a second faster than Mercedes team-mate and Formula 1 title rival Nico Rosberg

Lewis Hamilton beats Nico Rosberg to Brazilian Grand Prix pole
Hamilton can extend the title fight to the final race in Abu Dhabi if he beats Rosberg today. If Rosberg wins the race he will be crowned champion regardless of what Hamilton does.
Here is Ian Parkes' report on Grosjean's unfortunate crash earlier.

Romain Grosjean crashes out on way to Brazilian Grand Prix grid

Romain Grosjean will miss the Brazilian Grand Prix after crashing his Haas Formula 1 car on the way to the grid in wet conditions at Interlagos

Romain Grosjean crashes out on way to Brazilian Grand Prix grid
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Valtteri Bottas has told Sky Sports the track is wet but "nothing crazy". He doesn't understand why the start has been delayed, and reckons a standing start should be fine. No need for a safety car in his opinion.
This was looking like nothing but a Mercedes one-two in dry conditions, with the silvers cars over half a second clear of the pack in qualifying. The rain might bring Red Bull back into play, but Verstappen and Ricciardo will need to find their way past a Ferrari each to get to the Mercs.
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Sky F1 reporting that the race will start behind the safety car. How disappointing for everyone...
Autosport
Verstappen got very much involved in Rosberg's race last time out in Mexico, including banging wheels with the points leader at Turn 1. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff phoned his dad Jos between races and urged his son to avoid any controversial involvement in the title fight, leading Red Bull boss Christian Horner to suggest Wolff was "totally wrong" to meddle in affairs with a rival team's driver.

Horner says Wolff 'totally wrong' to try to influence Verstappen

Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner says his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff was "totally wrong" to call Max Verstappen's father Jos following the Mexican Grand Prix

Horner says Wolff 'totally wrong' to try to influence Verstappen
Autosport
Wolff, on the other hand, has no regrets over what he did, and says the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.

Toto Wolff has no regrets over controversial Max Verstappen call

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has "zero regrets" about calling Max Verstappen's father Jos and sparking a spat with Formula 1 rival Red Bull ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix

Toto Wolff has no regrets over controversial Max Verstappen call
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Force India informs Nico Hulkenberg the rain is here to stay. It will ease up shortly but return with a vengeance once the race is underway.
Radio Comms
"Think about brake warm-up behind the safety car, also good chat about conditions as usual please." Simon Rennie delivers Ricciardo's pre-race instructions. It's going to be tough out there once we get going properly.
Green flag
The Brazilian GP begins - in fairly muted style.
Radio Comms
"I can't really see much behind the safety car," admits Hamilton, "can we ask Charlie if I can go a bit further back."
Proposed rule changes to make the field form back up on the grid after such safety car starts in the future cannot come soon enough!
Radio Comms
"There's a lot of water on the straights, even between Turns 3 and 4 - which wasn't a problem earlier," Vettel tells Ferrari.
Radio Comms
Ricciardo lets Red Bull know that the exit of the last corner is "worse than the laps to the grid and probably the worst part on the track".
Bit of a mess there as Hamilton backed off and the Red Bulls and Ferraris nearly tripped over each other. They all avoid contact.
Onto lap three now with the safety car still leading the field around. The order is, obviously, the grid order: 1 Hamilton; 2 Rosberg; 3 Raikkonen; 4 Verstappen; 5 Vettel; 6 Ricciardo
Radio Comms
"A lot of standing water, but the key corners are Turn 5 and the last corner," Button reports poor conditions to McLaren.
Red Bull mechanics are trying to sweep the puddles away from their pit box. It needs doing.
Onto lap four, no sign of the safety car coming in yet.
Verstappen ducks around behind Raikkonen to try to get out of the Ferrari's spray.
Radio Comms
Daniil Kvyat also complaining about visibility and aquaplaning at the moment. Sainz says it's "on the limit" of whether the race can begin properly now.
Radio Comms
"It's getting close," reckons Ricciardo. "Probably another lap or two." That sounds promising.
Radio Comms
"If we just keep driving so slowly it will not get any better," reckons Verstappen.

By: Geoff Creighton

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