F1 drivers back decision to postpone US GP qualifying to Sunday

Heavy rain lashed Austin on Saturday, with conditions easing to allow final practice to take place before the weather intensified ahead of qualifying.

The FIA hoped to get the one-hour session completed on Saturday, delaying the session five times to see if the weather would ease off, but it was not possible.

"It was the right thing to do," said McLaren's Jenson Button.

"In one respect, maybe if we decided three hours earlier it would have been better for the fans.

"But we wanted to get out there and drive and put on a show.

"Delaying it every half an hour was the way it had to be."

His team-mate Fernando Alonso said: "It was a very frustrating day, and a very long day, waiting from seven o'clock for the uncertainness of the weather conditions.

"Obviously it's easy now the conditions stay similar all day long and kept raining all afternoon.

"Maybe it is possible to say a little bit earlier, but if you say 11 o'clock in the morning that qualifying will not happen, and then there is a stop of rain in one or two hours, everyone will say, "why did you decide so early?"

Nico Rosberg added: "It was the only decision to take because it is not possible to drive out there.

"Let's hope we can run tomorrow morning. It just needs to calm down a little bit and we should be able to get out there."

Lewis Hamilton, who was fastest in FP3, said the wet conditions were enjoyable until the rain got heavier towards the end of that session.

"It was really good fun actually, I felt like yelling in my helmet," said the world champion.

"At one point it was really good fun and then in the end it was a little bit dangerous.

"Tomorrow will be interesting. Hopefully the weather will back off and be better."

Daniil Kvyat said: "You could see there was so much water on track.

"You could go out but it would be more like a swimming session so it was a good decision.

"Tomorrow, the rain will be lighter and hopefully we can have a proper Q1, Q2 and Q3."