F1 Brazilian GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race
Minute-by-minute updates of the 2024 Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix
Lando Norris will start from pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix after a dramatic, delayed qualifying session which saw five red flags as Franco Colapinto, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz all crashed out.
After a Q2 exit and a five-place penalty, Max Verstappen will provisionally start from 17th, but could move up the order if drivers are forced to withdraw.
The race will get under way at 12:30pm local time, 3:30pm GMT.
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Summary
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Another fastest lap as Verstappen puts the hammer down, with a 1m22.241s.
Perez hasn't given up hopes of getting one over on Lawson. He's still right in the Kiwi's wheeltracks, with Tsunoda just ahead of the pair in eighth.
Norris is driving frustrated right now as he runs wide and allows Leclerc some breathing room.
A new fastest lap of the race for Verstappen as he pulls 3.6s clear of Ocon. A 1m22.453s keeps the extra point heading in his direction.
Alonso's off at Juncao on the restart lap means he is now last, and by a sizeable chunk.
Speaking of Leclerc, he has now been noted for an unsafe rejoin at Turn 4.
Piastri listens to the team order and allows Norris through into sixth. Norris will now chase down Leclerc.
Where did it all go so wrong for Norris? He's been off the road twice now, his latest moment at the restart seemingly triggered when Leclerc came steaming up the inside of him and Norris was then caught out trying not to run into Russell.
Perez has also passed Hamilton and is in the points in tenth.
Just as Ocon was pulling clear at the last restart, Verstappen is streaking into the distance, seizing a 1.9s advantage.
Verstappen has gone from 17th on the grid to the lead. On a day when everything looked to be going wrong, things have suddenly gone oh so right for the Dutchman.
A two-in-one gain for Lawson who passes Alonso and Hamilton in one at Turn 8, then Alonso plunges off the road at Juncao. Bearman's all-action race continues as he is up to 12th!
Verstappen leads Ocon and Gasly with Leclerc fourth, ahead of Russell, Piastri and Norris.
This is chaos!
This is that instant that Red Bull were talking about!
Verstappen throws it up the inside for the lead on Ocon but Norris goes off the track and is down to seventh!
Green flags. Ocon slows the pack for the run up the hill...and he goes as they reach pit entry.
The safety car will return to the pits at the end of the current lap.
"There is another band of rain potential for the end of the race," Leclerc is told. Well, that could create even more fun!
Bottas is now up to 13th. Should a few more cars drop off here, Sauber could perhaps avoid the ignominy of a scoreless season.
"This is what we're saying. Everything can change in one lap," Verstappen is told by Red Bull.
We've seen already how a single moment can flip the script, so that's a timely reminder.
Lap 41 and everyone at Alpine will have fingers, toes and everything else they can find crossed.
Replays show that Sainz, who was following Perez in 13th, touched the white line and the car swapped ends on him. Nothing he could do from that point as his Ferrari headed straight for the scene of the accident, clouting the barriers hard with his right-front corner before then impacting on the rear too.
How things can change in the space of a week. It's a second crash of the day for Sainz, who is out of the race.
Given how close we are to the restart, unsurprisingly, no drivers are being tempted to pit.
Sainz is off, having spun into the barriers at Turn 8.
Safety Car deployed!
Bearman meanwhile has had another grassy moment on what is becoming a day to forget, this time at Juncao which twice caught out Hamilton earlier on. The Haas driver is 16th and last as he tries to get tyre temperature back.
Lawson is P11 for the time being, and guess who is right behind him? It's Perez, ready for another bout of wrestling after their coming together in Mexico.
And off goes Bearman! He was pressuring Sainz, and rotates at Turn 6 before ending up nose first in the tyre barriers. That's a third spin of the day for the Haas stand-in, who does get going again.
Equally, Russell is 2.5s off Gasly with Norris a similar distance back on himself. Very much an 'after you' situation at the front.
It was all looking so good earlier for Tsunoda, who was running third and just ahead of Ocon for so long. Now he's under pressure from Hamilton for eighth.
Ocon was over a second clear of Verstappen on the last lap! The gap is now 2.6s! What a shock win this could be!
Despite dropping to the back with his latest spin, Bearman has immediately got back ahead of both Saubers. The rain is usually a leveller, but it's not changing much for the Swiss team today as Bottas and Zhou fall to the back.
Hamilton is on the move. He's passed Lawson and Alonso to take ninth.
Ocon is on another planet on this restart though, pulling 1.5s on Verstappen in a single lap and 5.2s on team-mate Gasly in third.
Leclerc now runs off the track and is under pressure from Piastri over sixth.
But Norris goes off at Turn 4 and falls behind Russell. This goes from bad to worse for the title challenger.
Ocon leads Verstappen in a very late restart. Gasly has dropped back in third and Norris is right on his tail.
Bearman's eventful race continues as he has spun onto the grass.
By: Autosport Staff
