Thunder, lightning and torrential rain washed out the second practice at the US Formula One Grand Prix on Friday after Nico Rosberg went fastest for Mercedes in a largely meaningless morning session.
Rosberg’s championship-leading teammate Lewis Hamilton, who can seal his third world title today at the Circuit of the Americas, did only four timed laps in total and was fifth overall.
After delaying the start of the afternoon session indefinitely, with marshals unable to work due to the risk from lightning and the medical helicopter grounded, organizers called it a day.
Photo: Reuters
Those hardy spectators who stayed on had been urged to seek shelter in their cars.
Formula One drivers are used to competing in the rain, unlike their counterparts in US oval racing, but the track was simply undriveable on Friday with the drainage struggling to cope with the deluge.
The forecast for yesterday’s qualifying was for more heavy rainfall in the Austin area.
Further south, Mexico, which is to host the championship next weekend, was braced for the arrival of one of the most powerful storms in history, with Hurricane Patricia heading toward the Pacific coast.
“I hope tomorrow’s better, but the forecast doesn’t look any good,” Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel said as the rain lashed down. “It’s a shame for the people in the grandstands.”
Rosberg was more than a second faster than anyone else in what turned out to be the day’s only session. The German’s best time was 1 minute, 53.989 seconds, while the next quickest was 1 minute, 55.224 seconds set by Russian Daniil Kvyat for Red Bull.
Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo was third and Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz fourth.
Hamilton needs to beat Vettel, who has a 10 place grid penalty for Sunday’s race due to an engine change, by nine points and Rosberg by two to retain his title.
Finland’s Valtteri Bottas gave his pit crew a scare, forcing some mechanics to jump out of the way when he came in and skidded to a halt.
“Sorry for that,” he said as he departed.
RED BULL
Red Bull were talking to Volkswagen about a Formula One partnership before a diesel emissions scandal seemingly scuppered plans, team boss Christian Horner said.
“There has been discussion with the VW Group, which obviously ... with their current issues, probably Formula One is the last thing on their mind,” he told reporters.
“There were other discussions that will become apparent no doubt in the future as well, other promises that were made,” added the boss, whose team still have no confirmed engine partner for next year.
“There’s an awful lot of speculation and conjecture about our situation at the moment,” Horner said.
“Once everything is finalized I’m sure it will all become extremely clear,” he added.
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