Australian GP qualifying delayed by rain

Sport
Qualifying at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix has been delayed until this morning in Melbourne following heavy rain.

Qualifying at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix has been delayed until this morning in Melbourne following heavy rain.

Report by BBCSport

Only the first knock-out part of qualifying was run at Albert Park as race director Charlie Whiting decided conditions were too dangerous to continue.

When the decision was made at 18:50 GMT, the light was also fading. The final two parts will now be run at 11:00 local time (00:00 GMT) today.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg set the pace in the first session from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Lotus’s Romain Grosjean.

Williams driver Pastor Maldonado and Sauber’s rookie Esteban Gutierrez were the two drivers to be knocked out in the first part of qualifying along with the Marussias and Caterhams.

Both Marussias out-qualified both Caterhams and Frenchman, Jules Bianchi continued the good impression he has made since being taken on by Caterham at the final pre-season test.

Bianchi was 0,767secs quicker than team-mate Max Chilton.

Lewis Hamilton had a narrow escape when he spun at Turn Two and his Mercedes initially appeared to be beached on the edge of the track — the rear wheels spinning uselessly as he tried to rejoin.

But Hamilton was able to reverse back onto the circuit and he ended up 10th fastest despite a damaged rear-wing endplate.

McLaren’s Sergio Perez was fourth fastest, ahead of Red Bull’s Mark Webber, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Jenson Button.

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