Team Bosses Sorry for Fans

Formula One team chiefs sympathized with fans at the Suzuka circuit on Friday after qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix was postponed due to the threat of an incoming typhoon.

The FIA announced on Friday evening that the Japanese authorities had warned against running the four planned sessions on Saturday and decided to close the circuit for the day before re-opening on Sunday.

"Clearly it is an unfortunate situation, more thinking of the fans actually out there, the poor people that have actually sat in the grandstands today," said BAR team principal David Richards.

There was limited running on Friday for first and second practice, with World Champion Michael Schumacher topping both sessions for Ferrari ahead of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella's Sauber. Teams spent most of the afternoon packing away their equipment in preparation for the typhoon, with radio masts being taken down and everything being stored in the garages.

The pre-qualifying session is now scheduled to take place at 9am local time on Sunday, followed by the grid-deciding qualifying session at 10am with the race still due to take place at 2:30pm local time.

But the continuation of the event still depends on the state of the track once the typhoon has passed through the area and teams have battened down the hatches to limit damage.

Minardi team chief Paul Stoddart warned: "The teams will survive I'm sure, we will batten down the hatches. But let's hope the aftermath of the typhoon doesn't interfere with Sunday's race. I think it's bad enough we don't have qualifying tomorrow but if we also have to have a very poor or indeed an aborted race, I think that would be even worse for the fans."