Rain threatens to disrupt F1 pre-season testing in Barcelona
Heavy rain and possible thunderstorms could throw a major wrench into F1 teams’ testing plans for Tuesday in Barcelona.
The morning session kicks off at 9:00 local time – exactly when rain is expected to start falling. Things are looking even worse as the day goes on.
Weather forecasters are predicting a possible thunderstorm around midday that might force teams to keep their cars in the garage completely.
And there’s no relief in sight for the afternoon session either. When testing resumes at 14:00, teams will likely face even heavier rain and more thunderstorms until the 18:00 conclusion.
Monday’s session already started with some challenges. Drivers had to navigate damp patches across the circuit, forcing them to take a cautious approach while still trying to gather valuable data.
Isack Hadjar apparently set the pace on day one, putting Red Bull Racing at the top of the timesheets.
The Frenchman reportedly clocked an unofficial time of 1:18.159 around Barcelona. George Russell followed in second, about half a second behind during his quickest lap.
Conditions did improve throughout Monday, eventually allowing drivers to switch to slick tires and collect more meaningful information.
But with Tuesday’s weather looking so problematic, teams might choose to skip the day entirely.
This is actually a strategic option for teams since they’re only permitted to run their cars on three of the five available testing days in Barcelona. Why waste one of those precious days in terrible conditions?
If the forecasts hold true, we might see a very quiet track tomorrow as teams save their testing allocation for better weather later in the week.
