Qualifying Rescheduled for Sunday Morning

A powerful typhoon has caused the postponement of Saturday's qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.

Formula One officials announced on Friday that qualifying was rescheduled for the morning of the race after torrential rain caused havoc during free practice at Suzuka. Typhoon "Ma-on" is forecast to bring winds of up to 180kph to central Japan this weekend.

Pre-qualifying will now take place on Sunday morning at 09:00am local time and qualifying will take place at 10:00am.

The threat of deteriorating conditions prompted race organisers to take the unprecedented step of postponing qualifying.

World Champion Michael Schumacher was quickest in both sessions, though the German survived a spin and several drivers skidded off the rain-soaked track.

"Initially when we started it was tricky - just on the limit," said Schumacher. "At the end it was impossible to drive."

While it was the first time qualifying has been moved to the morning of the race, previous Grands Prix have suffered postponements.

The 1995 Pacific Grand Prix at Japan's Aida circuit was rescheduled from April to October after an earthquake hit the region.

Ten years before that, the June 1985 Belgian Grand Prix was called off the night before the event after drivers protested about the dangerous condition of the disintegrating track surface. It was rescheduled and held in September.