Torrential rain forced the cancellation of Friday afternoon’s practice session at the Circuit of the Americas and more disruption is forecast for the United States Grand Prix weekend.
The viability of running Saturday morning’s third practice session, and even the afternoon’s qualifying, was already being discussed before it was decided there would be no FP2. Some 30cm of rain is expected in Austin on Saturday although conditions are expected to improve by Sunday.
If qualifying is cancelled on Saturday it will take place on Sunday. Lewis Hamilton is hoping to clinch his third world title this weekend but so far he is being upstaged by Hurricane Patricia. Forecasts predict that one of the strongest storms ever recorded is on the way to Mexico, the setting for next weekend’s race.
Half an hour before the scheduled start of the practice session it started to rain heavily. Race control then announced: “The start of P2 will be delayed indefinitely, marshals unable to work due to the proximity of lightning.”
It was no surprise the cars did not get on the track after that, even though Formula One’s chief executive, Bernie Ecclestone, could be seen in discussions with the race director, Charlie Whiting. Almost an hour after the session should have started an FIA message read: “P2 is cancelled. No medical helicopter operations for the next two hours.”
It was the first time a practice session had been completely lost since 2004 when the Saturday of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend was wiped out by a typhoon.
In the morning practice session Nico Rosberg finished top of the timesheets with some comfort, with Lewis Hamilton back in fifth.
But the conditions still had a big say. Heavy rain an hour before the start of the run was cleared away but the surface was damp and the rubber choice was intermediates.
Rosberg finished 1.235 seconds ahead of the Red Bull of Daniil Kvyat, with the other Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo in third place. They were followed by Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso) and Hamilton.
Sebastian Vettel was sixth for Ferrari, who are running their fifth engine this weekend and have been punished accordingly. There was some encouragement for McLaren.
Fernando Alonso, using an upgraded Honda engine, finished ninth and the Spaniard was seven tenths of a second faster than his team-mate, Jenson Button, who was running the old-spec power unit.
Meanwhile the Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has not ruled out an improbable deal with Honda, McLaren’s disastrously unsuccessful engine suppliers this season.
Red Bull have failed to reach a deal with either of their first two targets, Mercedes and Ferrari, and their relationship with current suppliers Renault may be damaged beyond repair.
