The FIA has issued an update to the session timings for Sprint Qualifying 1 at the São Paulo Grand Prix. The revised schedule affects the Saturday morning slot and has been approved by all relevant parties ahead of the Brazilian round.
What has changed?
Sprint Qualifying 1 at the São Paulo Grand Prix will now begin at 10:30 local time (13:30 UTC) on Saturday, moved forward by 45 minutes from the originally published schedule of 11:15 local time (14:15 UTC).
The adjustment was requested by Autodromo José Carlos Pace circuit organisers to better align with local broadcast windows and to avoid a clash with planned infrastructure works in the Interlagos district during the midday period.
Revised Saturday schedule
The full revised Saturday session order for the Brazilian Sprint weekend is as follows:
All other sessions across the weekend — including Free Practice, Qualifying, and the Grand Prix itself — remain unchanged from the originally published schedule.
Full São Paulo Grand Prix weekend schedule → →Why does the timing matter?
Sprint Qualifying determines the grid for the Sprint Race, which itself awards championship points. Any shift in timing has implications for team preparation windows, tyre warm-up strategies, and broadcast scheduling across global markets.
Teams were notified of the change through the official FIA bulletin system on Wednesday evening and have confirmed they have updated their internal planning accordingly. No objections were raised during the standard 24-hour review period.
What the teams are saying
Several team representatives confirmed they welcome the clarification ahead of travel to Brazil. The revised window gives crews an additional preparation margin before the first competitive session of the day.
“We always appreciate early notice on schedule adjustments. Forty-five minutes might sound small, but it changes the whole morning rhythm for the engineers and mechanics on track.”
The FIA confirmed no further changes to the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend schedule are anticipated at this time.
How to follow the action
F1 TV subscribers can follow every session live, including all three Sprint Qualifying rounds and the Sprint Race itself. Coverage begins 30 minutes before each session with pre-show analysis and driver interviews.
Updated local time listings will be reflected in the official F1 app and on the Formula 1 website schedule page within 24 hours of this bulletin.