Formula 1 is considering postponing the qualifying session for the Styrian Grand Prix to 9am on Sunday morning due to heavy rain at the Red Bull Ring.
Deteriorating conditions at the track forced the cancellation of final practice this morning. F1 race director Michael Masi explained that in addition to the high volume of water on the circuit, the cloud cover at the track means the medical helicopter cannot be used at present.“At the moment our primary receiving hospital is an hour and a half away by road in Graz,” Masi told Sky. “And the medical helicopter, because of the cloud that’s coming in, can’t fly at the moment.
“So with the medical helicopter being unable to take off, that’s another factor in the equation, and we wouldn’t start any session without that possibility at this venue – obviously it’s different case by case.”
Formula 1’s sporting regulations state qualifying must take place “on the day before the race and will start no less than two hours after the end of [practice three].” However the International Sporting Code gives the stewards the power to “modify the official programme if requested to do so by the clerk of the course or the organiser in the interest of safety.”
Masi said F1 is already planning to reorganise tomorrow’s timetable so qualifying can take place then, a changed the steward would have to approve.
“It will be an earlier start for all of us and a busy day,” he said. “If we can’t run at all [today], and we’ve got a draft timetable already for tomorrow that we’re working on, but we will qualifying tomorrow morning.
“So not a dissimilar situation to Japan last year. We’ll just issues a revised set of procedures of what the teams can and can’t do tonight and start all again tomorrow morning and go into qualifying and a much shorter period between then and the race.”
The 2pm race start time would remain unchanged, Masi added. “Hypothetically as we’re looking at the moment we would probably aim for a 10am local time qualifying tomorrow, and then the race would commence as scheduled.”
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Klon (@)
11th July 2020, 12:30
Sunset in Austria isn’t until 8 pm. If the helicopter can fly at any point between now and 6 pm, they should start qualifying instead.
Jere (@jerejj)
11th July 2020, 12:44
@klon Almost 9 pm in Spielberg to be precise. 20:55 for today. Looks unlikely it’d be clear enough for the medical helicopter by 6 pm, though.
Klon (@)
11th July 2020, 12:55
Well, I played it a bit safe since you don’t want to get too tight with sunset. We’ll see, especially since the rain is supposed to lessen in intesity at around 3 PM. Unless it outright stops, I doubt the FIA will have the desire to start qualifying today.
Jere (@jerejj)
11th July 2020, 12:46
You mean 3 pm or 15:10 for the race, which would remain unchanged.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
11th July 2020, 13:00
The weather forecast is for less than 1 mm an hour, why would Q be delayed?
Jere (@jerejj)
11th July 2020, 13:02
@peartree Because of the medical helicopter being unable to take off and fly.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
11th July 2020, 13:08
@jerejj 1mm of rain stops an helicopter?
Thecollaroyboys (@thecollaroyboys)
11th July 2020, 13:12
Cloud cover is the issue. Remember Shanghai last year (or was it the year before?) when the race was delayed by smog cover?
erikje
11th July 2020, 13:17
During FP3 until about 13.00u the helicopter flew over the track making a track flight. Almost perfect view and the mountains fine and visible.
Its a <15 mimute flight to the nearest hospital, so no problems .
But he.. i am not responsible, so easy to judge.
Jere (@jerejj)
11th July 2020, 13:25
@thecollaroyboys Not a race. It was a practice session in 2017.
Thecollaroyboys (@thecollaroyboys)
11th July 2020, 14:27
Thanks @jerjj for the reminder. I shocked to realise that it was so long ago and I forgot that it was a practice session. At my age I’m happy that I’ve remembered it at all.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
11th July 2020, 13:07
So if its as easy as this to reschedule Sunday to fit F1 qualifying, why oh why have we had to endure this constant wittering about P2 possibly setting the grid?
Do we have nothing worthwhile to talk about?
DeanR
11th July 2020, 13:37
Spot on! +1
erikje
11th July 2020, 13:22
https://www.myweather2.com/Motor-Racing/Austria/A1-Ring-Circuit.aspx
https://weather.com/weather/today/l/Spielberg+Austria+AUXX0061:1:AU
bob (@riptide)
11th July 2020, 13:56
Absolutely stupid. An hour and a half of dry weather, and they keep the same time for qualifying. And now its bucketing down.
bob (@riptide)
11th July 2020, 15:54
What do I know? :)