Styrian GP FP3 cancelled as F1 hopes for late Saturday qualifying slot

Final practice for the Styrian Grand Prix has been abandoned due to torrential rain, though Formula 1 remains hopeful of staging qualifying as planned on Saturday.

FP3 had initially been delayed indefinitely as conditions at the Red Bull Ring worsened, having already forced a premature ending to the opening Formula 3 race of the weekend on Saturday morning.

With conditions not improving, F1 has officially confirmed that final practice will not go ahead as planned, though it is hoping that qualifying will be able to take place later than scheduled on Saturday.

If that is not possible, F1’s first contingency plan would be to squeeze qualifying into Sunday’s schedule prior to the Styrian Grand Prix.

In the event that qualifying cannot be held at all, then F1 will use the results from second practice on Friday afternoon to determine the grid for Sunday’s race, which would see Red Bull’s Max Verstappen start from pole position.

But with the forecast suggesting vast improvements in the weather come Sunday, it is likely qualifying would be postponed rather than cancelled altogether.

If qualifying is moved to Sunday morning, supporting races in Formula 2 Porsche Supercup would be shelved.

“There is a chance at the end of today we’ll get some running,” said F1’s Managing Director Ross Brawn.

“We’ll have qualifying tomorrow, we have a schedule tomorrow that means we only lose the Formula 2 Sprint Race and the Porsche race, so there’ll be qualifying in the morning.”

Qualifying is due to begin at 15:00 local time but with rain forecast throughout Saturday, it looks highly unlikley not to be postponed. 

"I think what we hear is that it should get a little bit better for qualifying but looking at that torrential rain, it’s not realistic that we will run today," Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff said.