The Chinese Grand Prix could take place…on Saturday!
Following the calamitous weather forecast for Sunday, the various Formula 1 stakeholders will be discussing the possibility of moving the race from Sunday to Saturday.
The first two free practice sessions of the Chinese Grand Prix, which took place today, were severely disrupted by weather conditions.
Worse, the FP2 had to be canceled because the rain and fog did not allow the medical helicopter to take off and land safely on the track and at the Shanghai hospital, which is nearly 40 kilometers from the circuit and therefore inaccessible by ambulance within the correct time prescribed by the FIA, which is about twenty minutes.
The weather situation is expected to improve tomorrow before worsening again for Sunday. This is why the FIA, race directors, and team managers will discuss today the possibility of moving Sunday’s race to Saturday, immediately following the qualifying session.
For this change to be ratified, the teams must be unanimous. A consensus that is often very difficult to achieve in Formula 1 where everyone wants to preserve their commercial and sporting interests.
The room for maneuver remains very slim, however, because the next Grand Prix, in Bahrain, takes place as soon as next weekend.
