The Formula 1 weekend in Brazil is off to a shaky start after freight delays prevent Alfa Romeo and McLaren from setting their cars and garages up.
Pictures published on Instagram by Mark Sutton show the Alfa Romeo and McLaren garages to be empty. Sutton is an F1 photographer who has been travelling to races since 1983. Ahead of the race in Sao Paolo this weekend, he published photos on his Instagram stories that have left many fans worried.
Breaking: Fun and games in #F1 land. Two of the F1 freight planes are stuck in Miami so it’s going to be a very late start to get building cars and get them through scrutineering in time for Friday. Herculean effort by lots of people but schedule might have to change. #bbcf1
— Jennie Gow (@JennieGow) November 10, 2021
Earlier this week, it was reported that two F1 freight planes were stuck in Mexico due to bad weather. They couldn’t depart on time, and it led to a significant delay. The organizers assured fans that everything would be assembled and set up by Thursday, but that hasn’t been the case.
FP1 is scheduled to begin on Friday afternoon. With just about 24 hours, the teams need to work overtime to ensure everything is set up on time.
Also read: Alfa Romeo clarify they did not sabotage Giovinazzi’s Mexican GP in favour of Raikkonen
Will the other teams get an advantage over McLaren and Alfa Romeo?
Formula 1 rules state that teams can only start assembling cars once everyone gets their freight. This is enforced to make sure no team gets an unfair head start over the others. However, recent videos show that a few teams have created with their works.
Algunos de los equipos aún no tienen sus autos, otros los tienen, pero no tienen motores ni cajas de cambios. #BrazilGP #BrazilianGP
( 🎥 f1sutton @LH44updates ) pic.twitter.com/XkqqPMy76a— Diego Luciano (@Diego_Luciano_) November 11, 2021
Whether the session goes ahead on time or not is yet to be seen. The teams need a certain amount of time to set up their equipment and then their cars. If the teams do not get their freight on time, F1 have a significant decision to make.
