F1 2018 Testing: Snow hits Barcelona in latest setback

Formula 1 teams are experiencing further disruption to their pre-season preparations after heavy snow hit the Circuit de Catalunya on Day Three.

The start of the session was unsurprisingly delayed, officially because the medical helicopter was unable to take off.

While no official announcement has been made, Sky Sports has been told there is unlikely to be any track action before 10am GMT.

Cold temperatures, rain and a light snow flurry across the opening two days had already compromised teams’ running with their new 2018 cars, prompting some calls for testing to be extended.

Those calls are set to ramp up after teams and drivers arrived to steadily-falling snow on Wednesday morning. FIA race director Charlie Whiting is at the track and set to talk with teams about possible contingency plans.

While the track is generally clear, the run-off areas are covered in snow and circuit edges very slippery.

What are F1’s options?
F1’s regulations allow for eight days of pre-season testing ‘of no more than four consecutive days’ duration’, so any extension to either Test One or next week’s Test Two would require a formal rule change.

For that to happen all 10 teams would have to agree.

The following three scenarios appear to be the possible options:

Extend Test One to Friday: It was the front running idea had anything been agreed in advance earlier in the week, but now looks less likely. Particularly as Williams have already booked out the circuit to conduct a filming day.

Start Test Two on Monday: The weather for next week is looking far more promising, with sunny conditions and daytime highs of 17 degrees forecast, and Test Two could turn into a five-day outing by starting one day earlier.

Do nothing: Given all F1’s teams have to be in total agreement, the likelihood could well be that no changes are made to the schedule. That would leave teams going to Australia with less running under their belts with their new cars than they would like. But the fans and TV audiences might ultimately be the winner come Melbourne.

F1’s ‘snow day’ tweets
Teams, drivers and media have been tweeting the snowy scenes as ‘winter testing’ lived up to its name:

The Sky Sports F1 Digital team will be providing live commentary from dawn until dusk for all days of winter testing while Sky Sports News will also deliver live updates from trackside.

(c) Sky News 2018: F1 2018 Testing: Snow hits Barcelona in latest setback