Silverstone: Rain halted qualifying for the British Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday but it was too late to give any hope to McLaren's Jenson Button.
The red flag was waved with six minutes and 19 seconds remaining of the second of three qualifying stages as rain, spray and particularly standing water, made conditions too hazardous to continue.
Race control said they would give 10 minutes notice before any restart. Race director Charlie Whiting set a tentative time of 1400GMT.
Ferrari's championship leader Fernando Alonso, who spun but recovered the car without hitting anything, had already told his team over the radio that race control should stop the session.
That call came too late for Button, the 2009 world champion who has never stood on the podium at his home race. The Briton had already failed by then to make it through the first part of qualifying.
He was set to start Sunday's race in 18th place, although grid penalties to other drivers could move him up depending on where they finish.
Button's chance of getting through to the second phase were dashed when Marussia's Timo Glock spun on the start/finish straight with the chequered flag out, forcing the McLaren driver to slow behind him.
"I could not get any heat on the front tyres. I felt it straight out of the pits. I couldn't get any heat on the fronts and that is why I could not get a lap time on those tyres," Button told the BBC.
"It is the story of my year, not getting heat on the fronts so I am not too upset. I know I can drive a car in the wet," added the Briton, a winner in the wet from last place at a restart in Canada last year.
Rain also caused chaos on Friday, with teams getting limited practice laps in very slippery conditions while waterlogged campsites caused huge traffic jams outside the circuit as race fans struggled to find parking.
Comments
0 comment