Extreme weather conditions at the Circuit of The Americas forced the FIA to cancel the second free practice session, putting an end to Friday’s activities. This could be a sign of things to come, as even more rain is forecast for Saturday.
Following a wet free practice one on Friday, weather conditions escalated. When it came time to prepare for free practice two, it was declared that the weather was too bad for the medical helicopter to fly. For safety reasons, no session can take place when the conditions prevent proper medical services from being available, so race control has no choice but to cancel the session.
Another concern for the session was a lightning storm that arrived near lunch time. Track marshals feared their safety, as there was a risk of being struck by lightning. This also meant that it would be unsafe for spectators to be seated in the grandstand during this time. As a result, the session was officially canceled at 3:00pm.
At the moment, free practice three is scheduled to take place at its regular time. However, forecasts show that the weather conditions could potentially be worse than they were today. This could lead to the cancelation of the final free practice session and possibly a postponement of the qualifying. With wet conditions also likely during the race, it will be difficult for teams to properly get their cars setup for these conditions if they do not get more track time.
What many fans thought would make the race more interesting, could destroy this year’s United States Grand Prix.
