Japanese GP qualifying postponed
Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix will not take place today after hours of heavy rain made it impossible for the session to be run.
The session is now expected to take place at 10am local time tomorrow morning to set the grid for the race, which will start just four hours after the postponed session is scheduled to end.
This is the second time in five races at Suzuka that qualifying has been postponed to Sunday. In 2004 the approaching typhoon Ma-on led the race organisers to hold qualifying on Sunday instead of Saturday.
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
mario said on 9th October 2010, 8:37
Got a problem. Tomorrow morning our football national team is playing friendly match with USA. It’s starting at 2 am. One hour later we have Q begining. . . Damn
Stretch said on 9th October 2010, 8:55
Busy day Tomorrow:
See start of Bathurst 10:30 am
Qualifying ?
Race starts 4pm
Watch Holden win Bathurst 5 pm-ish
See Webber win 5:40-ish
MotoGP – see Stoner or Rossi win 6pm
and fit in some Year 12 homework somewhere…
Stealthman said on 9th October 2010, 9:42
Exactly the same here – just replace 12 with 11… :P
Dane said on 9th October 2010, 10:14
also replace Holden with Ford :)
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65) said on 9th October 2010, 14:42
why? Stretch’s post is perfect :)
Pink Pirelli said on 9th October 2010, 23:20
Thank god for TiVo, or else I’d be in a pickle as to what to watch & when !
Nickthegeek said on 9th October 2010, 9:59
They said 2am uk time but nothing has come up on the freesat guide yet. Think I’ll be recording both then watching with the phone on silent when I get up about 7. I used to always get up but once you have young kids sleep time is like gold dust.
Peter said on 9th October 2010, 10:00
Does anybody knows what if qualifying r posponed again? What rules say in this case?
Peter said on 9th October 2010, 10:24
rule experts where r you :)?
matt88 said on 9th October 2010, 10:27
i’ve read that if qualifying is impossible tomorrow, starting grid will be based on car numbers.
So we’ll have:
1- Button
2- Hamilton
3- Schumacher
4- Rosberg
…
Can anyone confirm that?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 9th October 2010, 10:31
Yes – see these comments earlier:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2010/10/09/little-running-in-rain-hit-final-session/#comment-447859
But keep in mind it’s pretty unlikely to have a situation where qualifying is impossible but a race scheduled to start five hours can go ahead.
matt88 said on 9th October 2010, 10:47
ok, thanks!
Luckily, it seems that weather will be good tomorrow… http://www.myweather2.com/Motor-Racing/Japan/Suzuka-Circuit.aspx?sday=1
Fixy (@fixy) said on 9th October 2010, 15:59
I think this method isn’t good because Schumacher would start 3rd, which he never has done this year. I think the order should be the one of the drivers’ championship standings: Webber, Alonso…
BasCB said on 9th October 2010, 17:09
I think that is pretty good though. Makes Alonso fight for it with the RBR guys (and Hamilton after his penalty), Kubica coming from behind as well.
Button will have his hands full to keep Schumi/Rosberg behind at the start, although they will be slower after that. Then he will have to defend from all these guys hunting for his lead.
schooner said on 9th October 2010, 13:03
That is correct, if a bit ill conceived. Even as a McLaren fan, it would seem fairer to me to start the cars in order of driver’s or team’s current points. Hopefully they’ll get qualy in.
Antifia said on 9th October 2010, 13:49
It would be based on the standings in the current championship,so:
1. Webber
2. Alonso
3. Button
and so on
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 9th October 2010, 13:51
That’s not what it says in the rules – see the link above.
Peter said on 9th October 2010, 10:56
Keith u r Number 1 in Formula world!!!
Scalextric said on 10th October 2010, 0:36
No, Jenson Button is Number 1…
Baldry 888 said on 9th October 2010, 10:20
Will the race be over in time for the bathurst 1000 to start because if it isn’t f1 will be off and bathurst is on !!! Go FORD !!!!!!!
And1star said on 9th October 2010, 10:41
Any knows when the race will start on TV? I’m from Belgium.
matt88 said on 9th October 2010, 12:01
8:00 AM for Central Europe.
Harv's said on 9th October 2010, 11:14
well done! An exciting race has just been turned into a boring sebastian led red bull 1 -2, i was looking forward to a good race, but i think thats out the window now!
Gill said on 9th October 2010, 11:25
Does anyone know if Star Sports is provoding the quali. coverage and if yes, at wat time ?
I tried logging onto Espnstar.com but there is no info.
wasiF1 (@wasif1) said on 9th October 2010, 15:32
I have no information but they did tell us that they will show quali live but their tv schedule page isn’t showing any sign of that.
Gill said on 9th October 2010, 19:34
Yes. They are set to show the repeat telecast of Quali at 3:30 AM on 10th oct.
But the quali is scheduled at 6:30 AM India time. I will wake up at 6:30 and check if its showing live. Otherwse, I ll directly watch the race :(
sato113 (@sato113) said on 9th October 2010, 14:23
how come this didn’t happen in brazil 2009 qualy?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 9th October 2010, 15:38
The rain eased enough for them to run the session.
wasiF1 (@wasif1) said on 9th October 2010, 15:39
The Brazilian quali lasted for 2 hours and 41 minutes but still there were some natural light available for the session to go on & this time it rained for a longer period of time then it did back then.
RobertG said on 9th October 2010, 14:54
What happens if its too much rain tommorow? GP cancelled?
matt88 said on 9th October 2010, 15:20
Some time ago (probably 2009) in MotoGp, the Qatar race was postponed on Monday due to heavy rain. i don’t know whether this is possible in F1, that time it was a gentlemen’s agreement between teams, circuit owners and Dorna.
Marcello said on 9th October 2010, 15:13
I woke up at 5 this morning only to tune into a bunch of wussies winging about some rain. These guy r supposed to be the best in the world and capable of driving in all conditions. Sure we all want a safe race but please come on!!! Credit only to Sebastian Buemi who was the only one of two drivers along with Alguesuari to brave the conditions. In an interview with the BBC Buemi actually said that up to 90mph it was safe and drivable. Y is it that these drivers either race at 200mph or dont race at all? Times have obviously changed for the worse since Nurburgring 2007. Im really gutted because we could have seen a REAL mixed up grid for tomorrow, instead now if tomorrow id dry (and the indications are that they will be) it will be a boring redbull domination. I feel sorry for the Japanese fans that couldn’t afford a Sunday race ticket and bought a saturday qualy ticket hoping to see some action but now they havent seen anything at all…i wonder if they’ll get a refund or something. I didnt mind waking up at 5 (i’m a hardcore F1 fan and have been so for years). Tomorrow I will have to make an extra effort tho…BBC are screening qualifying live at 1:50 am and the buildup of the race is at 5. I’ll be there religiously as usual!!!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 9th October 2010, 15:39
Both McLarens and Kubica also went out around the same time. Probably some others too.
wasiF1 (@wasif1) said on 9th October 2010, 15:15
I still remember that in 2004 I woke up to watch the quali only to find out that they were showing replay of some old race in that year.I thought myself that may be I missed it or today it wasn’t schedule as in those days I was now were near to internet.6 years later something similar happened. For Bangladeshi viewer if there are any, it will take place 7 am in the morning, but can anyone from India confirmed that whether Star Sports will show it live as tv listing page says NO.
Marcello said on 9th October 2010, 15:17
Antifia if qualy is aborted tomorrow (highly unlikely), current rules state that number 1 and number 2 cars will start at front (button and hamilton i think), however hamilton has changed his gearbox and incurred a 5 place penalty
Dizzy-A (@david-a) said on 9th October 2010, 15:23
Lol, Schumacher on the front row…
Stoo said on 9th October 2010, 23:28
That’ll be 2nd row then…
Stoo said on 9th October 2010, 23:30
I’ll read the post before replying next time :P
Yes 1st row lol… I won’t happen though.
They’ll draw straws!
DaveW said on 9th October 2010, 15:18
The forecast is for 100 to 60 percent rain through the morning. Considering the track will already be soaked, the car number scenario could be in the cards for startig position.
This estimation will be key to the set up. If you expect another wash-out you do a full-dry set up. If qualifying does go through it will be a tough call. In Hamiltons position now he may want to go for the dry set up.
Daniel said on 9th October 2010, 15:27
I believe if no qualifying is possible before the race then the cars will line up in numerical order. So:
1. Button (by virtue of being WC)
2. Schumacher (who had the foresight to get Rosberg to give him the number)
3. Rosberg (who like Shumacher signed for last years winning constructor Brawn, well kind of)
4. Vettel
5. Webber (both of which helped Red Bull achieve that position (though ahead of McLaren) that gave them these numbers.
6. Massa (who drove for Ferrari last year and hence got the lower number)
7. 2. Hamilton (by virtue of happening to be Button’s teammate and having a 5 place gearbox penalty)
8. Alonso (if he’d stayed with Renault he’d be 11th).
9. Barrichello
10. Hulkenberg
etc.
Ok, so given that this is the rule. It does makes some kind of sense for constructors to get the numbers in order, it also seems fair that only the WC gets No. 1.* But why does the WC’s team-mate automatically get No. 2? I’ve never thought that was fair.
(*If the WC doesn’t compete the winning constructor gets 0 and 2)
The Last Pope said on 9th October 2010, 19:47
Although the teams number 1 driver in that situation gets 2 and the number 2 driver get the 0. I wonder whether the grid would go 2,0,3,4,5 and so on?
Daniel said on 10th October 2010, 2:28
I just think they should reserve 1 for the WC and then start the numbering for the constructors from 2 & 3, 4 & 5, etc. until you get to the team with the WC and then they would be 1 & 6 for example, and the next team would be 7 & 8.