F1 could move Russian GP qualifying to Sunday due to rain threat
With heavy rain expected to hit Sochi on Saturday, officials have already taken the decision to resc🌊hedule the opening Formula 3 race of the weekend, moving it forward from 8:35am local time on Saturday to 17:25 local time on Friday.
F3 confirmed ꦿthe changes to the schedule had been made “due t𝓰o an uncertain weather forecast”.
The Russܫian GP weekend schedule is busier than usual as a result of the F3 finale being moved from COTA due to logistical reasons, which has created an additional headache for the event organisers with Formula 2 also racing.
F1 and the FIA will continue to monitor the situation and 🍷evaluate its options as it works on a contingency plan should Saturday proved to be a complete wash-out, like last month’s abandoned Belgian 🦄Grand Prix.
If final practice and qualifying were not able to go ahead at all, thenꦆ on🌺e option available to F1 would be to set the grid based on the most recent practice session, which in this case would be FP2.
Another solution would be f🧸or qualifying t🐻o take place on Sunday morning ahead of the race.
The last time an F1 qualifying session was postponed until Sunday was at the 2019 Japanes😼ಞe Grand Prix when a typhoon caused major disruption.
Sunday’s weather forecast is looking much more stable, wi🎃th largely dryꦆ conditions expected.
The current picture for Saturday shows there is a 99% chance of rain throughout the day. The rain threat eases from around 15:00pm local time - when Q1 is due to begin - and F1 officials 𒊎are hopeful the session can go ahead as nor🌜mal.
In an exchange broadc𓄧ast by the F1 world feed at the start of Friday’s second practice session in Sochi, Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley was heard discussing the situation with FIA race director Michael Masi.
Wheatley asked Masi: "Our weather forecast is showing us that the chances are we probab💟ly will qualify but Sunday morning, is that what you’re thinking at the moment?”
In his response, Masi sai𓂃d that delaying qualifying until later on Saturday afternoon could be another one of the options open to F1 if🌊 the weather situation improved.
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