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Weather delay forces F1 qualifying to Sunday

Heavy rainfall and gusting wind in Texas means qualifying round is postponed

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen takes part in the final practice session of the U.S. F1 Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Qualifying was postponed until Sunday due to heavy rain. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters
Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen takes part in the final practice session of the U.S. F1 Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Qualifying was postponed until Sunday due to heavy rain. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters
Sat Oct 24 2015 - 22:21

The qualifying round of the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas has been postponed until Sunday morning due to heavy rainfall and gusting winds making racing unsafe.

The qualifcation round and the race will now both take place on Sunday,with the qualifcation round beginning at 9am local time (2pm GMT).

Final practice for what could be a title-deciding race on Sunday was run earlier without spectators being allowed through the gates. They were admitted for qualifying, even though most grandstand seats remained empty except for those sheltered from the rain.

Drivers, media and team members mingled in the pit lane as they hoped for a break in the weather.

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After five half hour delays at the Circuit of the Americas, and the rain and wind only intensifying, organisers gave up the struggle against the elements and set a new time of 9:00 a.m. CDT (1400 GMT) on race day.

If qualifying cannot be held then, the times from final practice will dictate the starting grid order -- with world champion Lewis Hamilton set for pole after lapping fastest in that session held earlier behind closed gates.

Hamilton will take his third world championship in Sunday’s race, with three rounds remaining, if he scores nine points more than Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and two more than Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg.