Race cancelled due to heavy rain in Melbourne: what does it mean for F1?
F1 News
With a one hundred percent chance of rain, a dry Sunday in Melbourne was ruled out from the start. At the crack of dawn, monsoon-like conditions were already unfolding, and the rain continued throughout the morning. As a result, the FIA decided to shorten the first races of the day, the Formula 3 race and the Supercars race, and to postpone the start of the Formula 2 race. But what does this mean for the Grand Prix?
Throughout the morning, the rain poured relentlessly over the Albert Park Street Circuit. The F3 class began its race as scheduled, but it quickly became apparent that the conditions were exceptionally challenging. Multiple incidents occurred, with various drivers colliding or sliding off the track.
Melbourne F3 race shortened, F2 and Supercars cancelled
With three-quarters of the race completed, the safety car was deployed, and on lap 17, the red flag was waved. The race was not resumed, marking Rafael Camara’s first victory in the class. Noah Stromsted and Theophile Nael joined him on the podium.
The next race on the schedule, the final Supercars race of the weekend, ended up not happening at all. The event started behind the safety car, but after just two laps, the red flag was shown, and the race was canceled.
It's clear that the FIA is doing everything it can to stick to the schedule, but the question is how long that can last. They have even cancelled the F2 feature race in an attempt to keep to the schedule after it was not able to start on time due to the weather.
Can the Australian Grand Prix go ahead?
What does this mean for the F1 race? As of now, the start is still scheduled for 3:00 PM local time. The heaviest rain is expected to persist until after noon, with mainly light rain expected afterward. In theory, this would mean the Australian GP can proceed as planned, but possibly with certain precautions. The FIA and the teams have held discussions about a potential Plan B, including a possible start behind the safety car and, in the worst-case scenario, a delayed start.