Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying Postponed Until Tomorrow by Heavy Rain

Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix was postponed today by heavy rain, race organizers said.

Qualifying at Suzuka will now take place tomorrow at 10 a.m. local time, with the race scheduled to start five hours later. The sessions were delayed several times today before being called off at 3:18 p.m.

“They’re some of the worst conditions I’ve ever experienced in Formula One, rivers flowing from one side of the track to the other,” McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton said on F-1’s website. “It was a good call by the stewards to defer qualifying today.”

Red Bull’s Mark Webber leads the championshp standings with 202 points after 15 of 19 races. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso is 11 points back in second place, with Hamilton, Red Bull’s Sebastien


From Bloomberg.





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Japanese Grand Prix: Jenson Button sees bigger picture as he keeps eyes on the prize

The only action in Suzuka on Saturday was down a river masquerading as a pit-lane and took place between little toy boats built by idle mechanics.


Raining champion: Jenson Button is swamped by the media during Saturday's downpour Photo: EPA

It was a surreal sight. As the rain fell in Biblical quantities, and it became increasingly obvious that qualifying would have to be postponed, all tension vanished and Formula One went de-mob happy, much like Wimbledon during a rain delay. There was no Sir Cliff Richard to entertain bedraggled fans but drivers goofed around, miming the breast-stroke for TV cameras or sending Twitter messages to their followers, joking that they would have to qualify on jet-skis. And everyone forgot, for a short while, about the unprecedented, nail-biting five-way fight for the drivers’ championship.

Jenson Button, as relaxed as they come, was certainly able to stand back and appreciate the bigger picture. McLaren’s reigning champion, who heads into Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix at the back of that five-strong queue of title hopefuls, was asked to provide some perspective on his first year at McLaren. “I don’t think I could have hoped for any more,” he replied after careful consideration. “You always want to win more races and do better but realistically I am happy with what I have achieved so far this year. "But make no mistake, that’s not what I’m thinking about right now. I am fighting hard for the championship.”

Going toe-to-toe with Lewis Hamilton in his first year at McLaren, and emerging with credit, has clearly been a gratifying experience for Button. The 30 year-old has proved, contrary to expectations, that his unique brand of ultra-smooth driving and quick-thinking can live with the raw speed and aggression of his younger team-mate. What is more, Button is adamant he will pose an even greater threat in 2011. “I’m sure every driver says that every year but the fact is when I arrived in January the car was already built,” he pointed out. “Next year I’ll definitely be a stronger driver just through experience and having a bit more direction when it comes to development of the car.”

Intriguingly, Hamilton questioned that assessment when it was put to him, saying that Button had had “just as much input as me” into the development of the MP4-25, although he did allow that he had been influential as far as seat fittings and other minor areas were concerned. “But he was as much a part of it from when he joined the team as I was,” Hamilton said. “So he has only missed out on a couple of months really. And he wouldn’t have wanted to drive last year’s car. "This is a completely new one. It is not like this year’s is an evolution of last year’s.”

Hamilton’s defensiveness was revealing if understandable. Despite their flourishing partnership, the pair are fierce competitors and Hamilton evidently sees Button as a real threat. Perhaps more than he might have expected at the start of the year. That they have rubbed along so well, despite the pressure on them, is a credit to both drivers. Button admits it is going better than he could have anticipated, although after a decade in the sport he is a master at handling the fine line between friendship and competition. “Yeah, we’ve got on well this year,” he said “I never really knew what Lewis was like as a person before I got here. I knew him as a kid but that’s very different to when you are both racing in F1. "We respect each other and we know we don’t want to lose to each other. We also know that one driver on his own is not going to win a championship. It takes two to develop a car and really move it forward. He’s an intelligent guy and knows it takes both of us. I’ve learnt that over the years with so many different team-mates. “I think we both understand that this is the most important thing in our lives but we also both understand we need to get away from racing now and again, take a breather and come back a much fresher person. We understand our private life is important as well as an F1 life — keeping it as private as you can.”

Button sounds so contented and relaxed that it is tempting to suspect he may no longer have the same hunger to win a second title. Appearances can be deceptive. His laid-back exterior belies a steely character. “No one since Fangio has won back-to-back championships in different cars,” he said this week with a glint in his eye. “That is some goal.”

After Saturday’s light relief, the serious business is about to start up again. Regardless of what happens in Japan, Button is growing stronger.

Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka
Race: Sun Oct 10, 7am (BST), Suzuka, Japan
TV: BBC One 6-9.15am


From the Telegraph




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