The Formula 1 paddock is braced for disruption today (Wednesday), with adverse weather conditions set to hit the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Unseasonably cold weather has affected much of Western Europe so far this week, with temperatures substantially below average.
Air temperature typically peaks around 15°c in Granollers – the nearest town to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – at this time of the year, but reached only 9°c on Monday and a paltry 4°c on Tuesday.
The lower temperatures caused teams and drivers a headache, with the tyres taking several laps to operate correctly, before rapidly falling out of their optimal window.
Tuesday’s usual one-hour lunch break was cancelled, allowing teams to run in the best conditions, but lap count was still down, with no-one exceeding 100 laps.
A combination of rain, sleet and snow is expected to fall throughout today (Wednesday), with temperatures unlikely to exceed 7°c.
Conditions are expected to improve on Thursday, with temperatures returning to normal, though further showers are forecast.
The preliminary forecast for next week’s test indicates that warm and sunny conditions are expected to prevail.
