party, tribute and disorganization marked the event

Not everything was rosy at the São Paulo GP. In the final phase of the season, heavy rain prevented qualifying training from taking place on Saturday (02). The test, which would have been in the afternoon, was rescheduled for Sunday morning (03). The race, which was scheduled for 2pm, was brought forward to 12:30pm. Under the rain, Lewis Hamilton paid tribute to Ayrton Senna. The pilot drove viewers crazy by turning around holding the Brazilian flag, an emotional moment for most Brazilians.

Outside, there were almost kilometer-long queues and a lot of disorganization. Some people reported a lot of arguments, attempts to jump the queue, theft and little police on site, in addition to many hours of standing around waiting for the entrance gates to open. The queue for sector G reached 750 meters from the entrance.

_{Max Verstappen in qualifying for the 2024 São Paulo GP (Photo: Reproduction/site/Reuters/GE)}

On the run

Franco Colapinto crashed, even at low speed. Then, Carlos Sainz had to leave the race after also colliding. Nico Hulkenberg received the black flag and was disqualified from the race after spinning and returning to the track with external help, which is not allowed by the regulations.

Protocol breach

The seven-time world champion broke protocol and met fans on a GP talk show. The pilot confessed that, lately, he has been listening to Brazilian music and even ventured to speak Portuguese: 'I love you, guys!', he said. It is worth remembering that Lewis Hamilton was honored by the Chamber and received the title of honorary Brazilian citizen in November last year. The pilot has declared his love for Brazil several times.

The project that awarded Hamilton the honor was approved in June last year by the Chamber of Deputies. In the justification for granting the title, Figueiredo (author of the proposal) cited the close relationship that the driver maintains with Brazil, in addition to a tribute made by Hamilton to Ayrton Senna at the São Paulo GP, in 2021.

Featured Photo: Public faces long queues to enter the Formula 1 Racetrack (Photo: Highlight/site/Gabriel Oliveira/GE)