How to solve that issue was put to the four
F1 team principals in the Friday
FIA press conference. They were
Honda's NICK FRY, NORBERT HAUG of Mercedes, SAM MICHAEL from
Williams, and PAT SYMONDS with
Renault. They were specifically asked how could Fridays could be more attractive, exciting, sexy, so the media wouldn't fall asleep. All four basically said that Friday should be a test session of some kind. Given the current regulations, all felt there were better ways to utilise Friday, if at all. Perhaps it could be made more of a promotional day, with lower ticket prices, or eliminate it entirely.
The weather was iffy all day Friday, mostly cloudy, with spells of clearing midmorning. By the time the second F1 session started, it was clear that there was going to be weather and not for the better. An hour or so after the session ended, it did lightly rain, and then just threatened the rest of the evening.
The rain might clear off the track somewhat. Some of the F1 drivers complained it was dusty and/or slippery. Tyre warmers were definitely the order of the day, as temperatures dropped into the low fifties F.
The latest weather forecast for Saturday has a few passing showers for the morning, and less likely in the afternoon, for qualifying. The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology said at 4:30 local time Friday that "any showers moving over the circuit are likely to be brief with the track drying shortly afterwards. Temperatures should range between 52F/11C and 63F/17C. We'll see. If anything, the weather in Melbourne is changeable.
