03 November 2023 , 17:58
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Qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix was delayed after punctures caused by loose screws and nails during practice.
As the Sprint format is in use this weekend, teams had just one practice session to gather data before setting up their cars for the rest of the weekend. So they could have done without any disruptions affecting the amount of time they could spend on track.
Lewis Hamilton was hampered, though, when he picked up a puncture in practice on Friday. And Fernando Alonso also suffered a similar issue during the session.
Motorsport.com reports that screws, nails and other debris, mostly in the pit lane, was believed to be the cause of the punctures. But there are plenty of stones and dirt out on track as well.
So much so that tyre supplier Pirelli has asked the FIA to clean the circuit. "We had a couple of punctures due to debris and we also found some cuts on the tread," said motorsport chief Mario Isola.
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Obviosuly, we are going to inform the FIA to clean the track. I believe the problem is the pitlane more than on track. But we have to pay attention because we had a couple of punctures."
The FIA obliged by organising a clean-up operation on the track. But it did mean that qualifying, which was due to begin at 6pm GMT, was delayed by 15 minutes to that the work could be completed before F1 cars went back out on track.
Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough said his team had noticed how dirty the Interlagos track was when they walked around it on Thursday. "We always walk the track – we always measure the track to understand the grip level and the state of the track," he said.
"It was very dirty as far as the rainwater running across - the mud you can see as you go around. We always report back what we think of the track to the race director. We said it was dirty.
"We didn't actually notice any debris out on track. When Fernando did his first run, the first comments he had were, 'Lots of stones. I feel like I've been sandblasted as I'm driving.' We could see the front wing – the front of the car had taken a hard hit."