Qualifying on Friday at the Brazilian Grand Prix ended in unbelievable circumstances, as a huge storm rolled over the Interlagos circuit.
Throughout qualifying, a monster storm could be seen in the distance; however, initial weather radars suggested it would narrowly avoid hitting the track.
A 15-minute delay to qualifying to clear debris was ultimately the deciding factor though, as only Q3 was impacted by extraordinary weather.
A few light drops fell in the opening minutes of Q3, whilst thunderous black clouds loomed ever closer.
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Each driver only managed to complete one hot lap in Q3 as the session was red-flagged with four minutes to go, as the storm had very much made its mark.
End of the world-like conditions blitzed the circuit, with some drivers having noted how it seemed like it had suddenly become night-time.
Whilst the drivers and the teams were able to hide in the comfort of their garages, the fans were left to brave the storm.
However, things turned dangerous very quickly, as the roof blew off the grandstand on the outside of Turn 4.
The roof also blew off the grandstand at the last corner, with an F1 photographer having shared on social media how he “nearly got decapitated” by debris.
Photographer Andy Hone informed his followers that he was okay, following the “scary 10 minutes”.
“What a scary 10 minutes on track!” Hone wrote on social media. “A grandstand roof collapsed at the last corner and nearly got decapitated by falling debris!”
Videos of the roofs flying off the grandstands quickly circulated on social media, with safety checks reportedly set to be conducted ahead of Saturday’s action, to determine if fans can return to the areas.
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The weather is supposed to be absolutely fine now for the remainder of the weekend, although very few will be able to forget what they experienced in the storm on Friday afternoon.
Nevertheless, it’s Max Verstappen who claimed pole position ahead of Charles Leclerc, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso locking out the second row for Aston Martin.
Sergio Perez could only manage ninth after he was impacted by yellow flags in the final sector, caused by Oscar Piastri going off the circuit at the penultimate corner.