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2012 Malaysian Grand Prix The Malaysian Grand Prix
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30 minutes have now elapsed under the red flag.
Latest radar images show that other than a developing storm some distance to the north-west across the other side of the airport, conditions look good to continue brightening up in the next 20 minutes .
It's 4.52pm local time now, so still time to get some pre-dark racing in if Force India's estimation is correct.
The rain has eased considerably on the main straight but it is still coming down at other parts of the circuit.
Force India delivers some mixed news, @ClubForce: "Rain could start to ease off in the next 30 mins. Hoping for a restart soon. It gets dark abobut 7:30pm local time here."
Also killing red flag time in wise fashion is the Lotus tweeter, who is reviewing ice cream, @Lotus_F1Team: "mint choc chip, very strong sharp mint, very dark chocolate. Hmmm"
The pit building ledge is proving popular. Hulkenberg and di Resta are chatting about the opening laps as they keep dry.
Important news from AUTOSPORT's @EliGP: "After some research, I can confirm the canopies used by the teams are 10'x20' Eclipse Ii E-z Up". So if you're inspired, that's what to google...
Vettel has opted to sit out the delay in his Red Bull at the moment, while most of the drivers have stepped out for a break.
Several drivers are taking shelter underneath the pit building, as the rain continues to fall moderately.
Grosjean is the only retirement so far. He made contact with Schumacher at Turn 4 on the first lap and then spun out for good at Turn 7 a little later.
Ricciardo is 18th with Petrov 19th, Glock 20th, Kovalainen 21st, Pic 22nd and Senna 23rd - also after a spin on the opening lap.
De la Rosa is 17th in the other HRT. Bear in mind that team-mate Karthikeyan could just score the team's first half-point potentially.
Raikkonen is 13th, with Maldonado 14th and Schumacher 15th after his spin on the opening lap. Kobayashi is 16th in the second Sauber.
Hulkenberg and di Resta are 11th and 12th for Force India, then come the drivers who lost out in the early stint of the race ...
Behind the Toro Rosso driver, Massa had improved to eighth with Rosberg ninth and Karthikeyan rounds out the top 10.
Webber is fourth ahead of Alonso fifth and Vettel sixth. Vergne was the only man to brave intermediates until the red flag came out.
Kimi's provisions have been secured... Lotus_F1Team: "We can confirm we have a replacement freezer filled with ice creams lest anyone wants one. Eh Kimi?"
During this red flag period, let's take a full check on the classification. Hamilton leads with Button second and Perez a sensational third
Former Formula 1 David Brabham makes a good point! @brabsracer: "A billion people all excited that their man is in the top ten. #F1"
The rules do limit the race to a four-hour time window this year after the epic delay in the Canadian Grand Prix last season.
Hilarity on the grid as Ferrari unveils its own gazebo - a bit larger than the McLaren model and less aerodynamic.
@eddstrawF1 continues the pessimistic theme: "One day, a late race is going to get stopped and never restart after hardly any laps...let's hope it's not today."
The teams have brought out gazebos on the grid. @NobleF1: "McLaren have obviously been down to the local camping shop. Check out its tents on the grid!"
It is now hammering down on the main straight and the track is quickly turning into a swimming pool.
Air temperature has dropped to 26 Celsius but there is some good news, in that behind this shower there isn't a lot more to come.
Perez is the big gainer at the front of the pack, profiting from an early move to the full wet rubber. He will restart third in his Sauber.
Worth giving another shout out to Jean-Eric Vergne whose acrobatics on the intermediates had got him into seventh, impressive when you consider he started the race from 18th. While we speculated on whether Perez's early pit call was inspired, it may be that it was the Frenchman who was actually the early standout.
Tyre strategy has shuffled the order considerably after just eight laps in very tricky conditions.
The rain is still coming down moderately and the track remains very wet.
The grid is formed in race order as teams rush onto the track to service the cars.
Hamilton tours around the final corner and heads to a stop his lead McLaren.
Mechanics rush towards the pitwall in readiness to come out onto the track when the drivers arrive at the red flag line.
Predictions are coming in... @EliGP's is fairly pessimistic: "My prediction: SC for endless laps, then red flag, then restart behind the SC, then it gets too dark and drivers see even less than now"
Maldonado was another to lose out badly. He is 14th with Schumacher 15th, Kobayashi 16th and de la Rosa 17th.
Lap 9: The race has been suspended. The cars will return to the red flag line on the start/finish straight to await a restart.
Lap 9: The track is getting extremely wet at the moment...
Lap 9: Raikkonen lost five places in the pitstop phase when the field came rushing in.
Lap 9: @InsideFerrari reports: "Still everyone behind the safety car but track conditions are getting worse and worse"
By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton, Simon Strang, Matt Beer
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