All Marrakech Friday sessions cancelled due to weather

Auto GP organisers cancelled the opening free practice session earlier in the day due to the amount of standing water around the circuit Moulay el Hassan.

With further storms hitting the track during the day, and the water showing no signs of subsisding, the rest of the day's action has now given way.

This includes the planned qualifying session for Saturday's Auto GP race and World Touring Car testing.

Last year's Marrakech Auto GP victor, Sergio Campana, said: "Today's cancellations are not so bad for me, because I know the course, but I think other drivers who are unfamiliar with the track have reason to be a little more worried.

"The only plus side I can think of is the costs for this weekend are probably not so bad, because we haven't use the engines today."

A single, 45-minute, practice session will take place at 09.45 on Saturday morning. A half-hour qualifying session is scheduled for 13.00.

The opening race of the weekend has been pushed back from its original 10.15 slot to 16.35 on Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning's standing start race is unaffected.

Race distances for round two of the championship will be 19 laps apiece.

The WTCC qualifying session will be delayed by 45 minutes and will kick off at 15.15 local time instead of 14.30.

Auto GP series boss Enzo Coloni said: "It is a real pity, because we have all come here to work. This is a street circuit, where running is particularly important, and we have lost three sessions today. But that's it, there's nothing we can do about the rain."