The Brazilian Grand Prix began in an unusual way due to a rain-shortened Saturday and a combined qualifying and race schedule on Sunday, and things only got more chaotic during the formation lap.
Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll ended up in the gravel during the formation lap, which led to the start being aborted. This also resulted in a procedural mistake by polesitter Lando Norris, who is now under investigation before even completing a single racing lap.
Heavy rain on Saturday afternoon delayed Formula 1 Grand Prix qualifying until Sunday morning. The wet conditions caused a record five red flags during three qualifying sessions, and five cars were damaged in the process.
Four of those damaged cars were fixed in time for the race start, but Stroll’s No. 18 Aston Martin lost control during the formation lap.
Stroll tried to back off the track but ended up in the gravel instead. He had to leave his car, leading to the aborted start.
The aborted start confused polesitter Lando Norris. The McLaren driver, along with several others like George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda, took off when the yellow lights went out instead of waiting for the green light.
Some drivers stayed still on the grid, knowing that the aborted start meant they couldn’t take an extra formation lap.
Norris is now under investigation for not following the start procedure, and he may face a penalty before the race even begins. A penalty would be very important for the championship battle, as the gap between leader Max Verstappen and Norris has shrunk to just 44 points.
