Another race that fell to Covid last season but is back with a bang, the Brazilian Grand Prix returns and will stage the final sprint qualifying race of the year as the title showdown reaches its final stretch.
Interlagos hosted a chaotic race in 2019 that was won by Max Verstappen as Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly secured their maiden F1 podiums after plenty of action.
This year could be more of the same with the title in the balance. Neither of the contenders will give an inch but it’s Lewis Hamilton that needs to go on the offensive. The Mercedes driver is now 19 points adrift of his rival but can’t afford to have any more mishaps this season.
Mexico turned out to suit Red Bull just fine after a surprise Merc front row in qualifying, but the sprint this weekend adds an extra dimension to an already tightly-contested championship between the teams, down to just a single point in favour of the reigning champions.
Here are all the times for highlights and live sessions for this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
When does the race start?
Saturday’s sprint race starts at 19:30 and is scheduled to last 30 minutes. The main race on Sunday will begin at 17:00 and is scheduled for 71 laps. Here is when you’ll want to be in front of a TV or mobile device to catch the action live or watch the highlights.
Qualifying
Live: Friday, 18:55 via Sky Sports F1/NowTV
Sprint Qualifying
Live: Saturday, 19:25 via Sky Sports F1/NowTV
Highlights: Saturday, 11:30 via Channel 4
Race
Live: Sunday, 16:55 via Sky Sports F1/NowTV
Highlights: Sunday, 11:00 via Channel 4
How many laps is the Brazilian Grand Prix?
The 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, November 14 and will be 71 laps of the Interlagos Circuit in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
There will also be a sprint race on Saturday that decides the grid which will be 24 laps, the most in terms of lap count of the three events this season.
Where to watch
If you’re wanting to watch live, Sky Sports F1 will show each session this weekend as they happen and have coverage both before and after each session. The sprint and main race is also available on Sky Sports Main Event on Saturday and Sunday respectively though will not feature the same build-up as on the F1 channel.
Highlights will be on the same day as the sprint and races respectively but after 11pm on Channel 4.
(All times GMT)
Sky Sports F1 – Live
Friday: FP1 – 15:00 | Qualifying – 18:00
Saturday: FP2 – 14:45 | Sprint: 18:30
Sunday: Race – 15:30
Channel 4 – Highlights
Saturday: Sprint – 11:30
Sunday: Race – 11:00
How to stream
As usual, the online streaming go-to is NowTV to watch each session from this weekend live. There is pre and post-race coverage of the qualifying, sprint and race sessions this weekend and practice will be streamed live on Friday and Saturday too.
You can also access highlights live on Channel 4’s All4 app and online player. The show will be available to watch on demand after.
Who will win?
As the top three pulled up on the grid following last Saturday’s qualifying, there was just one solitary Red Bull and it was surprisingly in front of the P3 board. That shock was a long-distant memory the day after as Verstappen crushed the competition to take his 10th win of the season.
So where does that leave the competitive order heading into the Brazilian GP?
