EIFEL GP – Friday practice abandoned due to poor weather
Both of Friday’s practice sessions for the Eifel Grand Prix have been cancelled because of fog and rain. Conditions at the Nürburgring were poor, low visibility and rain covering the circuit made it impossible to get any running in.
After the opening practice session was called off on Friday morning, with the track’s medical helicopter unable to fly safely to its destination hospital if there was an emergency, conditions did not improve during the two-and-a-half-hour gap between FP1 and FP2.
FP2 was finally abandoned after an hour of waiting, FIA race director Michael Masi said: “With the fog that’s come in, the medical helicopter is not able to take off and fly to the hospital. The distance by road is too far, should something occur.
It means drivers will have as it stands just an hour of practice on Saturday morning unless there is an agreement to change the rule. It’s not the first time a days running has been abandoned, FP3 was cancelled and qualifying postponed until Sunday at last years Japanese Grand Prix.
Earlier in the season third practice at the Styrian Grand Prix was abandoned because of poor weather. If FP3 and qualifying have to be abandoned, qualifying would take place on Sunday morning with the drivers not, however, having practice.
Next month’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola will have a single 90-minute practice session before qualifying at the Italian track as part of an experiment with a condescend schedule to be run over two days of track action.
It is unclear whether FP3 tomorrow will be extended to ninety minutes ahead of qualifying.