Red flag halts Brazilian GP qualifying as torrential rain causes chaos

The opening segment of Saturday's qualifying session was interrupted shortly after the cars headed onto the track, as standing water made it increasingly difficult for drivers to maintain control of their cars.

With visibility and grip severely compromised, the conditions quickly became a major concern for those attempting to complete their first flying laps on inters.

Russell was particularly vocal over team radio, urging race control to suspend the session because of the amount of water accumulating on the circuit.

The British driver warned about the danger of aquaplaning, with the wet conditions making it difficult for the cars to maintain contact with the track surface. Race control subsequently displayed the red flag, bringing Q1 to a halt as drivers returned to the pit lane.

The interruption came only minutes after the start of qualifying, leaving drivers and teams waiting for conditions to improve before the session can resume.

Race control expects the heavy rain at Interlagos to continue for approximately another 10 minutes, delaying any possibility of resuming qualifying in the upcoming minutes. Once the weather improves, the medical car will be sent onto the circuit to assess the amount of standing water and determine whether conditions are safe enough for the session to restart.

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