Rain delays Singapore sprint and moves qualifying to 9:30 p.m.

Heavy rain delayed the Singapore Grand Prix sprint on Saturday, October 10, and Formula 1 moved qualifying for Sunday’s race back by 30 minutes. The session is now scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. local time, rather than 9 p.m., after disruption to the sprint timetable. Rain began shortly before the sprint was due to start, according to a report on the schedule change. The race’s start was pushed from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. BST. The sprint was listed on the event timetable as a 21-lap race, with a maximum duration of 60 minutes. One report said nine drivers retired during the sprint and described multiple collisions, including a final-lap incident involving McLaren drivers. The other reviewed reports did not independently detail those race events. The revised qualifying time gives teams additional time to prepare their cars after the delayed sprint, the schedule-change report said. Qualifying determines the starting grid for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix, which was scheduled for October 11 at 8 p.m. local time. Before the sprint, Singapore’s Meteorological Service forecast thundery showers in parts of the island during the afternoon.