The Japanese Grand Prix weekend is expected to get off to a dry start on Friday – but that is set to change over the following days.
Different forecasts give different views of this region’s often changeable weather, but several forecast heavy rain on Saturday, clearing up by Sunday. This raises the possibility of qualifying being hit by rain.
Timo Glock said he was expecting a lot of rainfall during the race weekend:
I think we can expect similarly wet weather in Japan [as in Singapore practice] – the early forecasts are for a strong chance of rain during all the running sessions and possibly during the race.
Timo Glock
Rain fell on F1’s return to Suzuka last year during the second practice session, but not qualifying or the race.
If you’re in the area this weekend, please let us know what the weather is like in the comments.
This weather radar for the region where Suzuka is will allow you to keep an eye on any rain heading towards the track:
Weather radar
Suzuka circuit location
2010 Japanese Grand Prix
damonsmedley (@damonsmedley)
6th October 2010, 16:42
I can’t remember the last race that had no rain predicted over the whole weekend. It is ironic that we haven’t actually seen a proper wet race (i.e. China 2009) in 2010! I am not having a go at or blaming anyone, I just think we have been very unlucky this year to have had such boring weather.
Steph (@)
6th October 2010, 17:03
I like to see it as we’ve been lucky that we’ve always had a chance of rain so there’s always some hope :P
damonsmedley (@damonsmedley)
6th October 2010, 17:24
It is reverse-psychology you see. If the radars predict rain and everyone gets excited, the man who ultimately decides what sort weather we are issued with gives us the opposite. Simple. :P
US_Peter (@us_peter)
6th October 2010, 20:23
I actually think we see better racing under changing conditions (Melbourne, Shanghai, and Spa 2010) than if it’s strait wet. It forces teams to make tough calls on tire strategies and rewards bold decisions like Button’s in Australia.
Victor.
6th October 2010, 16:43
A wet qualifying on Suzuka is disturbingly arousing considering what happened last year in the dry…
wasiF1
6th October 2010, 16:47
The weather betrayed us in Singapore hope the dame will happen here in Japan.
Griggs
6th October 2010, 16:53
Pah, I’ll believe it when I see it. The rain gods keep teasing us! :D
Dan Thorn (@dan-thorn)
6th October 2010, 17:11
Ugh, no rain in the race please! Too much of a lottery at this stage in the season.
Anagh
6th October 2010, 20:10
it kind of does performance matching if it rains! :P
DaveW
6th October 2010, 17:28
Whitmarsh has booked cloud-seeding planes.
Scribe (@scribe)
6th October 2010, 23:22
shhhhhhhhhhh, you’ll give the game away.
Rahim RG
6th October 2010, 18:42
Who ever wins in a Wet Suzuka deserves the Championship in My Opinion….
zecks
7th October 2010, 13:29
what if kubica wins then?
Icthyes (@icthyes)
6th October 2010, 18:58
The last time it rained at the Japanese GP, Hamilton won, Vettel and Webber crashed into each other and Alonso spun out. Good omens for the championship (except we’d lose Vettel)!
BasCB (@bascb)
6th October 2010, 19:21
What about Button then?
Icthyes (@icthyes)
6th October 2010, 19:25
He’ll…erm…hopefully finish 2nd and buck the trend. The exception that proved the rule.
Scribe (@scribe)
6th October 2010, 23:20
heh heh heh, do you think we could scrape together for a transcontinental watergun?
W154
7th October 2010, 13:40
Vettel rammed into the rear of Webber, they did not crash into each other. That’s like saying Hamilton and Kimi crashed into each other in the pit lane at Canada when we all know what really happened. Please be a little less loose with the truth!
Younger Hamilton
6th October 2010, 20:40
This is when the Revival of McLaren begins.
Scribe (@scribe)
6th October 2010, 23:21
gee, i hope so. Once bitten though, I thought Germany was supposed to our new dawn but really thats where thr troubles started. Spa excluded we haven’t really had a good race since then.
Soumya Banerjee
7th October 2010, 14:22
Hmmm,now when have i heard that before?
manatcna (@manatcna)
6th October 2010, 21:39
I think changeable weather would be better than completely wet, let’s see how quickly the teams can react under pressure.
Team Whitmarsh will get it wrong as usual just to make sure they can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the championship race.
David-A (@david-a)
6th October 2010, 22:43
Team Whitmarsh don’t usually get it wrong in changeable conditions, like you know, the way they’ve won all three of those types of race this year?
John P
6th October 2010, 23:00
There’s no point paying attention to these forecasts. It seems that for every race this year, the forecasts have said we were in for a wet race/quali, and it NEVER happens!
Best example was before Hungary quali, when the BBC weatherman told it was raining at the circuit, and 2 minutes later the programme started, showing clear skies and a bone dry track.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
6th October 2010, 23:29
Time for a new tactic:
Rain? No, we want a boring dry race!
manatcna (@manatcna)
7th October 2010, 0:20
DavidA – Sorry, I didn’t mean only in wet or changeable conditions.
Daniel
7th October 2010, 3:04
Wooah! Damon your right, we havent had one WET race in 2010 :/ And that sucks! Hopefully it lashes in Brazil, because Rain+Brazil=Awesomeness!!!
Bleu (@bleu)
7th October 2010, 6:59
In general there hasn’t been that many completely wet races. From the 2000s I can remember Brazil 2003, Belgium 2005, Japan 2007, Britain 2008, Italy 2008 and China 2009, so that’s six. Even in two of them some drivers took dry tyres in the end but it was mainly gamble and they were not battling for win or high points.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
7th October 2010, 11:06
Update: Seems like rain for qualifying but dry for the race. Some chance of rain on Sunday though.
McLarenFanJamm
7th October 2010, 12:22
I’d take rain during Qualifying. Try and get the McLarens mixing it at the front and then have a bold tyre strategy during the race (although knowing Whitmarsh the latter is unlikely)
Icthyes (@icthyes)
7th October 2010, 16:52
McLaren have a history of trying to make Hamilton win from the front, so it’s likely they’d still put the soft tyres on even if the choice is free. Mind you, with a green track that might not be the worst idea.