WATCH LIVE: Brazilian GP Qualifying on CNBC from 11a ET - MotorSportsTalk

He may trail Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton by 24 points at the top of the drivers’ championship, but Nico Rosberg showed few signs of panic in practice for this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix by finishing as the fastest driver in all three sessions.

However, as we saw in Austin last weekend, that counts for nothing when it comes to qualifying. Rosberg goes in search of his tenth pole position of the season today at Interlagos today, and it could go a long way to getting him back in form with a race win on Sunday.

You can watch qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix on CNBC and Live Extra from 11a ET today. CLICK HERE to watch via live stream.

Hamilton has by no means been off the boil this weekend, though. In all three of the practice sessions, the difference was just a couple of tenths, and the Briton said that he did not hook up a quick lap during FP2 on Friday.

So in reality, the battle is set to be another close one at the front, and it could well be in the chase to follow the Mercedes drivers home. Williams, Ferrari and Red Bull all appear to be in the running to complete the podium, and with a smattering of rain expected for both qualifying and the race, all three teams will be hoping to pounce on any lapse at the front.

With pole today, Rosberg would secure the first ever FIA pole trophy, awarded to the driver that scores the most pole positions across the course of the season. However, without the main world title in Abu Dhabi, it will mean very little to the German.

You can watch qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix on CNBC and Live Extra from 11a ET today. CLICK HERE to watch via live stream.

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Ryan Hunter-Reay was named to replace Conor Daly in Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet, starting in the NTT IndyCar Series event next week at Road America.

Hunter-Reay is the 2012 series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner. He finished 11th for Dreyer & Reinbold last month in the 107th Indy 500, his first start since the 2021 season finale. He drove full time for Andretti Autosport from 2010-21.

“We need to improve our competitiveness and I wanted to add a fresh perspective from a driver like Ryan who has a massive amount of experience and success as well as a reputation as a team leader. I am excited to welcome Ryan to the team,” team owner Ed Carpenter said in a team release. “We have worked together in the past as teammates and he tested for ECR at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2021, where he made an immediate impact as we were able to qualify one of our cars on the pole following that test. I am confident that his experience and technical abilities will be an asset to ECR as we move forward toward our goals as a team.”

Hunter-Reay has 18 IndyCar victories, most recently in 2018. He also is a winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, having been a part of winning entries in the 2020 Twelve Hours of Sebring and 2018 Petit Le Mans. Last year, he was an endurance driver for Cadillac Racing while being on standby for Chip Ganassi Racing.

He replaces Daly, whose departure was announced a day earlier in what the driver and team said was a mutual decision.

“I was surprised when I got the call from Ed,” Hunter-Reay said in a team release. “He described how frustrated he was that his team has not been able to realize its potential despite their efforts, investments, as well as technical and personnel changes over the past few years and asked for my help. Ed and I are very close friends and have been for a long time. I’ve worked with the team in the past and they are a very talented group with high expectations and a committed partner in BITNILE.COM.

“This will certainly be a challenge for me as well. It’s a tough situation jumping in a car in the middle of the season without any testing in what I believe to be the most competitive series in the world. Certainly, part of my motivation in saying ‘yes’ to Ed is the great challenge ahead. The last time I turned right driving an NTT IndyCar Series car was in October of 2021 with this team at Barber. However, I remain very confident in both my driving and technical abilities and believe by working with the talented people at ECR and Team Chevy, while representing BITNILE.COM, we will make progress. I am going to do everything I can do to help the team achieve its long-term objectives.”

Said Milton “Todd” Ault, the chairman of sponsor BitNile.com: “It is great for BitNile.com to be aligned with an Indy 500 Winner and an NTT IndyCar Series champion. I have followed Ryan’s career for years and I am confident he will challenge the entire ECR team to perform at higher levels. I wish everyone luck at Road America.”