Grapevine: Snow Hampers Minardi's 'Thunder in China'

The Minardi F1x2 'Thunder in China' event, which was scheduled to take place today, has been cancelled after inches of snow covered the Goldenport circuit in Beijing, where the two-seater cars were to run.

Sponsored by Malaysian alloy wheels manufacturer BSA, the event saw yesterday a Formula One car running for the first time in history in China, where 12 media passengers where taken for a ride with Malaysian Alex Yoong and Dutch Minardi test driver Christijan Albers at the wheel.

After waiting for three hours today, however, both BSA and Minardi declared the event cancelled as the drivers deemed the snow on the track made the driving too dangerous.

"It is a right decision to stop after the first runs as it was just too dangerous to continue," said Yoong. "For sure there is a high risk that we might put the car into the walls that line the circuit if we had gone out after the first runs today."

The event, held to promote the sport in China, which will host a Formula One race in Shanghai beginning in 2004, had already been postponed due to logistical problems.