No driving this Friday at the Nürburgring due to weather conditions

White day for the 10 stables on the plateau Formula 1 this Friday in Germany. Due to thick fog on the Eifel massif where the Nüburgring circuit is nestled, no car was able to take to the track for the traditional free practice sessions. 

All day, the race management hoped for a clearing that never came. It was not so much the runway that was impassable as the impossibility for the medical helicopter to fly and reach the nearest hospital due to low visibility. FIA regulations stipulate that a means of land transport can replace the helicopter provided that the vehicle can access the appropriate treatment equipment by road in 20 minutes or less.

In these conditions, the decision was taken not to open the pit lane, although the teams could carry out simulated pit stops if they wished. Ideal for warming up in these cool temperatures, the mercury never exceeding 10°C in the air and 13°C on the track. The humidity reached 95% this afternoon. 

Speaking to F1 TV, Otmar Szafnauer, CEO of Racing Point, suggested that Free Practice 3 on Saturday morning could be extended by half an hour to reach 90 minutes and make up for some of the time lost this Friday. 

Teams and drivers would then find themselves in a situation identical to the one they will experience in Imola in 3 weeks during the Emilia-Romagna GP.

Finally, congratulations to the dozens of fans who braved the bad weather in the hope of seeing some action on the track. In vain. Some had made a banner with the image of Mick Schumacher, who was due to make his debut on a Grand Prix weekend this morning in EL1 at Alfa Romeo. Others unfurled a banner with a Sebastian Vettel in a green tunic, the color he will wear next year at Aston Martin. 

After this false start, let's hope that the rest of the program rewards the patience and tenacity of these die-hard enthusiasts.