F1 team bosses back “safety first” Japanese GP typhoon decision
Formula 1 team bosses have praised the early decision to reschedule the 🌱Japane🔴se Grand Prix weekend format in the wake of Typhoon Hagibis.
F1 confirmed on Friday morning that no on-๊track action will takꦬe place at Suzuka on Saturday due to the approaching super typhoon Hagibis, which is forecast to make landfall in Japan on Saturday.
Other major sporting events have also been disrupted, with tw♔o Rugby World Cup matches being cancelled, while many of travel links in the country have also been affected.
Formul🍌a 1 team bosses have praised the early decision to reschedule the Japanese Gra💞nd Prix weekend format in the wake of Typhoon Hagibis.
F1 confirmed on ꦛFriday morning that no on-track action w𓃲ill take place at Suzuka on Saturday due to the approaching super typhoon Hagibis, which is forecast to make landfall in Japan on Saturday.
Other major sporting events have also been disrupted, with two Rugby World Cup matches being cancelled, while many of travel links in the country have also been af♉fected.
Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix will now take place on Sunday morning at 10🀅00 local time (0200 B🌳ST) ahead of the race.
Speaking about the decision, Alfa൲ Romeo team princi﷽pal Frederic Vasseur commented: “I think that it’s safety first and probably it makes no sense to ask the spectators to come on track and then to be in a big mess.
"In terms of sc𝐆hedule and programme for the team, we already thought𝓀 about this yesterday evening honestly.
“OK, it will change the programme but I think we can afford the weekend with two free practices. Perhaps it will be a good exercise for t🌜he future.”
Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto concurred with Vasseur’s view, adding: “First I think it’s a shame for the fans butღ it’s a fully respectable decision, safety is first.
“In terms of programmꦇes, certainly it’s a lot more🤡 intense now. We are certainly skipping one session, which is FP3.
“Qualifying maybe occurring on Sunday morning. But it means that toda🔯y it will be a lot more intense.
“We’ve got, eventually, m𒅌ore tyres to be used - the ones from FP3. We need to set up the car for the Quali on Sunday morning.
“There’s just a session less. Things are more complicated but certainly a great challenge but I’m pretty sure it should be a good show an💖d spectacle on Sunda🍌y.”
Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul believes it will provide F1 with an opportunity to assess potential future tweaks to the current 🌳weekend format.
“It has happened before and it will happen in the future,” he said. “There is enough time 🦩on Sunday to conduct both qualifying and the race.
“I think maybe it will ꦫgive us an impression of Formula E, maybe a little bit, so not a bad 🔴thing.”
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner agreed the call was the “right decision” f🐷rom the organisers.
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