Rain could affect grand prix and qualifying sessions at Interlagos · RaceFans

One of the most popular races on the calendar that regularly produces exciting racing action, there could be plenty of drama this weekend in Brazil.

The Interlagos circuit sits just south of the city of Sao Paulo, sitting between the Rio Grande to the east and the Rio Guarapiranga to the west, close to the ocean.

The rain – ‘chuva’ in Portuguese – is no stranger to Sao Paulo and there is potential for precipitation to affect proceedings this weekend. However, it is almost as if the rain has been deliberately scheduled to coincide with this weekend’s most important track sessions.

Rain is forecast to fall over the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace at around 3pm on each of the three days of the weekend. A slight chance of rain is predicted for both Friday and Saturday. Therefore the qualifying sessions for both the sprint race and grand prix could be affected.

Friday’s first practice session should be dry, while the sprint race on Saturday morning should be the warmest session of the weekend under clear sunny skies. However, a small amount of rain is predicted to fall in the middle of Sunday’s grand prix, which could lead to an extra challenge for drivers during the most critical part of the weekend.

Will the potential rain affect whether Red Bull decide to fit a new power unit in Max Verstappen’s car for Sunday’s grand prix and forcing him to take a five place grid penalty as a result? As the weekend progresses, the question of whether it will rain on Sunday – and how hard – could become one of the most important to determining the outcome of the race.

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For more updates on the track conditions during each session keep an eye on RaceFans Live and the RaceFans Twitter account.