Styrian GP at risk of qualifying wash out on Saturday

F1 teams have been warned that adverse weather could severely impact running at the Styrian Grand Prix on Saturday, with qualifying at risk of being washed out.

The current weather forecast is calling for heavy rain to fall around Spielberg, forcing organisers and F1 to consider contingency plans.

A document circulated among the teams by FIA race director Michael Masi stipulated that is qualifying is scrapped tomorrow, the session could be delayed to Sunday morning.

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But if running is hampered again on Sunday morning, Friday's second practice session would serve as the basis of the Styrian Grand Prix's grid.

That prospect will likely incite teams to manage their run plans in FP2 accordingly as McLaren F1 boss Andreas Seidl explained.

"We gathered information from the race director already, giving a kind of pre-warning that there is a risk that no session is happening tomorrow because of thunderstorms or heavy rain," Seidl said, quoted by Motorsport.com

"And it is still open, if that would happen, if there's a qualifying on Sunday morning or worst case, if that's not possible because the weather could still be bad, then FP2 would count as a qualifying result.

"That's something we need to monitor today and we need to figure out how we want to handle that."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.