F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Follow the race at Sepang with live timing

And then hopefully Ferrari will be able to tell its PU software that the track is wet. 

They do say torque is cheap...

The next step will be to release those cars who are out of order - indeed, a lap down in some cases - so that the timing and scoring system can be properly up to date.

This is like what happened in our local parkrun the other week, when one of the volunteers handing out the finishing tokens picked up the wrong pack, started handing out the ones about a hundred positions out, then after realising their mistake went back to where they should have been.

Hamilton under way again; in good IT industry tradition they've turned it off then turned it back on again.

"It's a software issue we're trying to solve," Hamilton is told as his car grinds to a halt on the back straight.

Meanwhile Lawson's car has got going, but he's now a lap down because the SC and Verstappen are way ahead, while the pack led by Antonelli has been dawdling while they work out what's going on.

Verstappen reporting a technical issue, Hamilton says "I'm pressing the throttle and nothing is happening."

GPS shows Liam Lawson's car has not left the grid.

And two fingers of the beverage if, during the laps behind the safety car, a driver complains: (a) the safety car is driving too slowly; (b) the safety car should pull in and let the race start. Cheers!

As an addendum to the rules of the drinking game published earlier, it's "down in one" if a driver complains of a misted visor.

We can expect to see a few laps behind the safety car before the drivers are released. Currently everyone rolling on the intermediate rubber - so no requirement to use two different dry-weather compounds once the rain dissipates.

In the words of the ridiculous Peter Powell, let's get this road on the show.

We await confirmation of the starting procedure. But, given the conditions, a standing start will be messier than Gregg Wallace's sock drawer, so...

15:40 local time is confirmed for the start.

10-minute warning has now been issued so we're about to get going.

"Only a couple of corners are still an issue at the moment," says the FIA. "The marshals are focusing their work on these areas."

Update from the FIA: "Sweepers and marshals are working on track to remove any standing water. The medical car is going on track again. The latest forecast indicates the rain intensity should decrease in the next 5 minutes."

Does this mean the Pirelli technicians in the pitlane have 'degradating apps' loaded on their iPads? The world needs to know...

Today's commentary drinking game: two fingers of the beverage of your choice every time one of the TV pundits utters the words "degradation". Let's see who ends up under the table before lights-out.

Shame Ron Dennis is no longer around because he could often mangle the term, referring to the tyres as having been "degradated".

For those watching in the UK and Europe, we forecast a delayed breakfast.

Dear oh dear, that joke had to circle and dump fuel before it landed.

This author well recalls getting up in the middle of the night to watch the 1991 Australian Grand Prix, only for it to be stopped early because of rain. Half points were awarded. There was no sense of 'delaide gratification that day...

Since the rain appears to be easing off a tad, the medical car is essaying a lap or two again.

The reason for this is that, while the full wet tyres are very good at displacing water from the surface, that water ends up in the air - so visibility is the problem.

With low cloud and thunderstorms there is also the question of the medical evacuation helicopter. If it can't take off, the race can't start.

"Medical car is reporting a significant amount of standing water around the track. Current conditions are not suitable to start the race."

Because no improvement is forecast imminently, the delay remains indeterminate. Customers of South Western Railway in the UK, of course, will be familiar with that dread open-ended 'DELAYED'...

Medical car now out "to assess track conditions" says the FIA.

When we do get going, the grid order had been mildly reshuffled by engine penalties. Hadjar will start P8, Colapinto P21, Lindblad P22. 

Anyway, here's what happened in qualifying:

We can confirm that the start of the race has been delayed, but there is no news yet of when it might actually get going.

In 'nil defecatum Sherlockium' news, race control has announced that the risk of rain for the race is 90%.

All in all, this race could be a lottery. What a shame Andre Lotterer is no longer driving.

The reason everyone is getting agitated about this rain, of course, isn't just because this is the first-ever wet Bahrain Grand Prix. None of the drivers have much experience in the latest-generation cars in properly wet weather.

There is a real concern that the intermediates this year are slightly too hard, and take too long to warm up. As with the dry-weather tyres, the rubber is all new this year because the regulations called for narrower wheels. And almost half the power units' peak output comes in the form of electrical energy, which creates a big whack of torque. Very easy to break traction in the wet.

One feels particularly sorry for Aston Martin personnel because that green garb really does show up the wet patches.

The crowd, of course, has come equipped because this is pretty typical weather for this time of day.

National anthem is proceeding during the thunderstorm. We hope those poor fellows holding brass instruments aloft during all these lightning strikes are being paid 'danger money'.

And a loud peal of thunder has rumbled through the building's structure. We are expecting a delay to the start, but nothing has been communicated yet.

Here's our view from the media centre, where fortunately it's not raining outside.

And with 20 minutes to go before the start, the heavens really have opened above the pits.