Rain puts qualifying in doubt

Tomorrow’s qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka is in doubt as the area prepares for a typhoon.

Typhoon Ma-on is scheduled to hit Suzuka tomorrow morning and concerns have been raised over health and safety.

With torrential rain and winds of well over 100mph predicted the circuit could be closed to fans, while the track is likely to be too wet for drivers to risk competing on.

Today’s first practice sessions just got underway and drivers tiptoed round a sodden track in persistent rain.

A decision on tomorrow’s sessions is expected at around 6pm local time (10am Irish time) after circuit officials hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.

Jenson Button has no doubts that qualifying should be called off if today’s weather does not improve.

Asked whether the session should be cancelled if similar – or even worse conditions – prevail, he said: “Definitely, there’s no question about it really.”

If tomorrow’s qualifying is cancelled, questions will then be raised on how the grid will be determined.

The favoured option is believed to be to run the normal two qualifying sessions on Sunday morning, although basing the starting line-up on the result last time out in China is also under consideration.

Button added: “I don’t know what’s going to happen in qualifying. Hopefully we have two sessions not one because that would disadvantage those who did well in the last race.”

Giancarlo Fisichella, second-fastest in practice today, added: “There was a bit of aquaplaning and then when it was raining very, very heavily it was impossible to drive it.

“So if tomorrow we have the same conditions as the last 10 or 15 minutes then it is not possible to drive. It looks like that will happen because the typhoon is coming and it will be worse than today.

“It is a shame, but it depends on the rules. If we cannot do the qualifying session I think the best thing is to keep the positions of practice of today, which is good for me.”

The typhoon has been expected for several days but it was recently upgraded to ‘super typhoon’ status with gusts currently topping 150mph as the storm makes its way towards Japan from the sea.

Michael Schumacher splashed his way to the fastest time in practice today.

The world champion, driving a Ferrari, followed up his fastest lap this morning with an even quicker effort in the second session as persistent rain played havoc with preparations.

Schumacher’s lap of one minute 45.388 seconds was over half a second faster than his nearest challenger Fisichella, in a Sauber.

McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen was third-quickest and Schumacher’s team-mate Rubens Barrichello fourth, although with most drivers completing just a handful of laps it was hard to gauge anyone’s chances for race day.

Scotsman David Coulthard was fifth-fastest for McLaren while Jenson Button’s three laps left him down in 20th. BAR tester Anthony Davidson was ninth.