Saturday, October 9, 2010

Super Soggy Suzuka Caps Saturday F1 Action: Qualifying to be held Sunday

Day 2 of the Japanese Grand Prix has amounted to a full wash-out due to heavy precipitation. Perhaps better identified as 'Wipeout Japan', an estimated daily accumulation totaling nearly 50 millimeters of rain made the Formula 1 cars stay garage-dwelling for the duration of Saturday. Even with full wet weather tires, the presence of standing water on the Suzuka Circuit made the conditions impossible to for those Bridgestone tires to obtain any grip.

Delayed as rain fell, Formula 1 officials were eventually faced with the only sensible solution was to postpone the qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix to Sunday morning. Though the precipitation is excepted to continue through Saturday night into race day, there is expectations that the rain will let up into the day.

Prior to choice to postpone qualifying, an early Saturday practice session proceeded with little participation. In the 3rd practice session, only two cars recorded lap times eager to get the names of their respective teams and drivers at the top of a Formula 1 speed chart in 2010. The Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso in the hands of Jaime Alguersuari tip-toed around the wet 3.609 mile Suzuka track with a 1 minute, 55.902 second lap time. Second-fastest (only fastest rather loosely) was the Virgin-Cosworth piloted by Timo Glock running almost 11.6 seconds below the pace of Alguersuari.

As qualifying will be scheduled just three hours before the start of the race, teams at the Japanese Grand Prix will be busy during a packed and likely still wet Sunday.

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