The second practice session for the Chinese Grand Prix has been abandoned without any of the cars having appeared on the track.
The session was unable to start as the medical helicopter was not able to land at a nearby airport due to fog. The availability of the helicopter is a mandatory safety requirement for F1 sessions.
The Porsche Supercup practice session which was due to begin at 4pm has been brought forward to 3:45pm.
Lewis Hamilton, who left his garage near the end of the session to hand out team merchandise to a group of fans, apologised for the lack of action.
“So sorry for all you either watching on TV or here at the track,” he wrote on social media. “We must find a solution to deal with weather issue.”
Formula One cars are scheduled to return to the track for a single one-hour practice session tomorrow before qualifying and the race.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
7th April 2017, 8:13
So the Porsche Supercup doesn’t require a helicopter? Poor guys.
bosyber (@bosyber)
7th April 2017, 8:15
Quite odd really, thinking about it
@F1-liners (@f1-liners)
7th April 2017, 9:33
No helicopter at my local karting track; and now they closed it!
IJW (@)
7th April 2017, 8:24
If that is the case, then they are probably considered “expendable”. Not sure if I was them, that I would be too please about that.
BasCB (@bascb)
7th April 2017, 8:26
I guess they expect them to be less in danger from more protective stuff around them and lower car speeds.
nase
7th April 2017, 8:39
@bascb No, I think @ijw1 is right: F1 drivers get a priviledged safety treatment, racers from other categories are considered expendable. More material doesn’t mean more protection, we’re comparing peak technology to modified cars with road approval …
The last death at the wheel of a Porsche Supercup car was in 2013.
Gabriel (@rethla)
7th April 2017, 8:46
Noone would ever be able to race if everyone demanded the same safety as the pretty boys in F1.
nase
7th April 2017, 8:48
@rethla
Could you please do something else? ANYTHING else? That’d be much appreciated.
DaveD (@daved)
7th April 2017, 20:48
@rethla
…Seriously, if you could do ANYTHING else we’d all be much happier.
Jorge Olivier
7th April 2017, 23:29
Agree, this has happened before, as long as their deaths aren’t show in live TV and FIA and organizers don’t get bad publicity they pretty much don’t care.
Gabriel (@rethla)
8th April 2017, 13:18
@daved
Likewise. If you got nothing to say then dont.
DaveD (@daved)
8th April 2017, 18:33
@rethla
Better to say nothing than to open your mouth and show everyone what a fool you are. You really should consider that advice.
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
7th April 2017, 8:58
exactly
BT52B (@)
7th April 2017, 18:02
A helicopter may also be a legal requirement, based on some sort of labor agreement between drivers and organizers (I don’t know really, just a guess)
anon
7th April 2017, 18:45
@eurobrun, what were the conditions like by the time that the Porsche Supercup began? The session for the Supercup starts later in the day, so it is possible that it could have improved enough by then for their session to start.
Homerlovesbeer (@homerlovesbeer)
7th April 2017, 8:14
What a joke :-(
Sumedh
7th April 2017, 8:14
Kudos to Hamilton for doing something at least for the fans. Wish other drivers and teams follow his lead!
Richard (@rick1984)
7th April 2017, 11:06
I’m not usually a big fan of Hamilton off track, but definitely a nice thing to do.
On a separate note my football team (St. Mirren) play in the lower leagues here. It is annoying when a game you have maybe spent a few hours travelling to is postponed. There will have been local fans today who could only afford Friday tickets going home really disappointed today.
frood19 (@frood19)
7th April 2017, 11:18
i wonder if they get a refund, seems unlikely. in the cricket spectators get a refund for test matches in the UK. if there’s fewer than 15 overs because of rain or because the match ends early then you get a full refund. if it’s 15 then you get 50% back. it hardly ever happens in F1 so i doubt there is a policy (or if there is it’s track specific)
BasCB (@bascb)
7th April 2017, 8:15
Good to at least see some drivers out there signing caps for the fans (Lewis at the grandstands and later in the paddock and I saw Kimi in the paddock too).
But Smedley does have a point when he mentions that they should think of some kind of plan B for such an occasion (well and a real solution for the medical centre if the current one is to far away in this kind of situations).
Would it really be too hard to organise to take a couple of drivers in situations like this and get them around the track having some interaction with the fans? Having a TV crew get in a grandstand and get fans to ask questions etc.
They have paid serious money to be there. Give them a bit more back.
bosyber (@bosyber)
7th April 2017, 8:17
Well said @bascb, I like the idea you had of getting that drivers parade truck, loaded with drivers, to go around; and your other ideas are good too. If safety means you can’t run, at least give the fans something for their money.
@F1-liners (@f1-liners)
7th April 2017, 9:38
I like the ‘Grandstand Ask an F1 Driver’ idea.
@bascb
Kringle
7th April 2017, 15:31
Chuck them all in the porsche supercups for an hours race instead. That’s plan b!
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
7th April 2017, 8:21
I agree they should put on some sort of entertainment, but remember the spoil sports who threw criticism at Sauber and Red Bull in Austin 2015 for trying to lighten the mood by rowing down the pit lane and dancing? Such heathens!
BasCB (@bascb)
7th April 2017, 8:24
Sadly some ppl @eurobrun!
Philip (@philipgb)
7th April 2017, 8:34
I think the criticism was that it wasn’t entertaining. They’re elite drivers not clowns. Watching a few light hearted moments of guys pratting about isn’t entertaining.
They should have as many said gone and given the fans who made the effort the chance to get something meaningful like meeting their heroes or a tour of the pit facility rather than acting like dance and drama students.
Michael Brown (@)
7th April 2017, 8:35
I know us F1 fans can’t be pleased with everything but come on
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
7th April 2017, 14:06
@eurobrun As I recall two of them were Kimi Raikkonen and Maurizio Arrivabene…
Will Wood (@willwood)
7th April 2017, 8:15
Very sorry for all the passionate Chinese fans who were at the circuit today. They deserved far more than what they got.
It was a little disappointing that it was only Hamilton who decided to go out and get involved with the fans in the grandstands. It would’ve been a great gesture to those hardcore fans who did spend their money to come and support their favourite drivers today to come down and show some appreciation to them.
BasCB (@bascb)
7th April 2017, 8:20
Pretty sure it would have required some special allowance from the FIA to actually let him cross the track during the session, maybe that is why there were no others there.
But yeah. Kudos for Hamilton at least trying to give something back to the fans out there. Should be far more effort from the whole circus to do things like that as a backup if there is no track action possible. I really don’t see why they couldn’t have brought out that driver parade truck and a TV crew to get some fan interaction going.
AceAce
7th April 2017, 8:20
More like smog.
@johnmilk
7th April 2017, 8:25
Giovanazzi won’t have his FP1 and FP2 after all
what’s the forecast for the pollution? Sorry, weather…
Ashwin (@redbullf1)
7th April 2017, 14:52
I was thinking the same, just when the guy thought he could gain some experience into the race, this happens, poor him !
Olav (@okersen)
7th April 2017, 8:25
What if this happens during the race day? What do the rules say, are they then going to postpone the race or cancel it if the start is not goint to happen in a reasonable time frame?
Sumedh
7th April 2017, 8:31
Earlier, a race could go on forever. Now there is a hard stop of 4 hours. So, a race can be delayed and delayed till say 3 hours 50 minutes. If after that conditions are ok to race, drivers will line up on the grid, do a warm-up lap of say 2 mins and then there would be a 8 minute race (i.e. the checkered flag will be waved after 8 mins). Everyone would be awarded 50% of the points.
If the race doesn’t start at all till 4 hours, then no points are given to anyone.
BasCB (@bascb)
7th April 2017, 8:33
There actually IS a minimum amount of laps needed to award 50% points though
nase
7th April 2017, 8:46
@bascb
That’s just two laps (for the leader). Should be doable in 8 minutes.
But I don’t think they’d let them race for just a few minutes, that’d be farcical. I think they’d simply cancel the race if the conditions don’t look safe to race after 2 hours.
@johnmilk
7th April 2017, 9:29
great opportunity to test the sprint race everyone is talking about
Olav (@okersen)
7th April 2017, 13:24
I think it would be so unfair towards the spectators – to cancel a race because a medical copter can not land some 35 kilometres away from the track on a landing pad because of poor weather. Yes, safety is a big deal but there should be somekind of a plan B.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
7th April 2017, 8:31
But on the upside: Lance Stroll, third fastest driver of the weekend.
Philip (@philipgb)
7th April 2017, 8:36
No crash either. Best session yet for him
Jeffrey (@jeffreyj)
7th April 2017, 9:41
You think his father paid local authorities to prevent practice to continue after his son put in a lap? (just kidding)
Michael Brown (@)
7th April 2017, 8:37
I loved the Vettel banner (though it was misspelled at first) and the Stig and blue Renault costumes.
Michael Brown (@)
7th April 2017, 8:38
Great fans, almost as awesome as the Japanese fans
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
7th April 2017, 8:52
On a serious note: suggestions that the race will be pushed to Saturday? Surely that’s a bit speculative, but why would they? Rain surely doesn’t necessarily entail fog? All getting a bit farcical this.
Anon
7th April 2017, 9:09
Oh yes safety is farcical :/
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
7th April 2017, 11:57
I don’t think this changeable weather weekend needed more challenges, not having practice could spice up the weekend but on the other hand I love fridays. 3h of f1, nor 30 mins as today.
fay ridd
7th April 2017, 12:07
again only Lewis Hamilton driver to converse with the fans a very respectable young man
.he knows how disappointed tihey must be feeling a true great world champion on,y he knows how hard it is to have enough money for. a ticket he’s lived it and understands it. Great admiration for his father who brought him up with respect and very good manners go on Lewis take your fourth you should have had five by now anyway .the most exciting g driver of this era.
Tinker bell
14th August 2020, 18:18
Yes! But all F1 drivers should have respect! It’s not all about lewis Hamilton you know.
Rui Pedro Moreira (@zambas)
7th April 2017, 14:08
yeah, ban bad weather asap…
The Last Pope (@the-last-pope)
7th April 2017, 17:53
The last sentence of the article makes it sound like the race will now be on Saturday after qualifying.
Ian
7th April 2017, 19:34
“So sorry for all you either watching on TV or here at the track,” he wrote on social media. “We must find a solution to deal with weather issue.”
Oh Lewis, I’m really sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you really are just a fast driving celebrity, you cannot control the weather :D
Armin Sher (@)
7th April 2017, 21:47
Has there ever been a Monday race?
Sumedh
8th April 2017, 4:29
There hasn’t.
There can’t be one here either as Bahrain is next weekend and the teams’ freight schedule cannot be changed.