FIA grants F1 teams extra time after freight delays

On Wednesday, it emerged that some teams were still waiting for their freight to arrive in Brazil and the FIA has now moved to give all squads more time that usual to submit their cars for scrutineering ahead of the race at Interlagos.

F1's sporting rules usually require this process and the accompanying paperwork to be completed no later than 18 hours before first practice.

But in light of the transportation problems that have followed the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which is understood to have most impacted the McLaren, Haas, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari teams, the governing body has granted an additional 15 hours for the teams to complete the scrutineering process.

A Brazilian GP stewards document announcing the decision stated: "In accordance with Art 25.2 of the FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, the Stewards hereby give a waiver to all Competitors in the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix from the time limit in Art 25.1 and require that each Competitor be required to carry out initial scrutineering of his cars and submit the duly completed declaration no later than three (3) hours before the start of P1."

The change to the pre-event scrutineering process have been made in the expectation that the there will be no need to alter the timetabled F1 track sessions for this weekend

When asked about the freight delays by Motorsport.com, Haas team boss Gunther Steiner said the missing cargo had arrived in Brazil but was still yet to arrive at the track when he was speaking at just past midday at Interlagos.

Lorries delivering equipment to the track

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

"The guys just have to work through the night, that's the only thing you can do," he said of how the situation would be resolved at Haas.

"I don't know if they need to work through the night, but it will be for sure a late night, and all the rest with the regulations has been changed as of this morning – that the curfew and the scrutineering times that has been all adjusted.

"We can still do the event as planned, not change the timetable of the event.

"That's the plan, and I think that's achievable now. I just know about our stuff – that is in Brazil, I don't know the other people's stuff.

"I think everything is here now in Brazil, it's just a question of a few hours away from the race track."

Motorsport.com has approached the FIA for further explanation regarding possible changes to the curfew rules for team operations at Interlagos this weekend, as a further potential knock-on impact of the freight delays.