Sao Paulo GP tyre strategy in doubt amid rain and cool forecast

Rain remains a threat for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but a dry race is still possible, and drivers face a tyre challenge either way. All 22 drivers start with fresh slick tyres, and those who reached Q3 have four fresh sets of soft tyres against five for those eliminated earlier. Every driver also has one fresh set each of mediums and hards.

If the race turns wet, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton would have five fresh sets of intermediates, compared with two for Lando Norris and George Russell and three for Kimi Antonelli. The forecast does not suggest heavy enough rain to bring full wet tyres into play.

Temperatures are expected to be much cooler on Sunday, at no more than 15 degrees, compared with 26 to 27 degrees in third practice. Pirelli has indicated that a two-stop strategy will be the quickest, but cold conditions could cause graining or loss of grip, leaving the field with many unknowns.