Excitement to evaporate in Abu Dhabi after rainy São Paulo spectacular | Richard Williams


Interlagos provided an overdue reminder of how F1 used to be but the chances of a repeat in Abu Dhabi for the grand prix season’s finale are slim at best

As they peered anxiously through the spray and narrowly avoided rivals bouncing off the barriers at 170mph, the current crop of Formula One drivers proved their worth in São Paulo last Sunday. Heavy rain turned the Brazilian Grand Prix into a proper race, full of the kind of excitement and unpredictability that have been virtually banished from modern Formula One.

If only F1 were like that all the time. Or even half the time. Instead the circus pitches up in Abu Dhabi next week with the world drivers’ championship still in the balance but very little prospect of the sort of spectacle we saw in the penultimate round of a largely uneventful series.

Related: Ayrton Senna: the gladiatorial virtuoso who still sets the standard | Richard Williams

Continue reading...