Styrian Grand Prix FP3 session cancelled due to torrential rain in Austria

The third practice session for the Styrian Grand Prix has been cancelled, due to torrential rain at the Red Bull Ring.

The FP3 session, due to start midday local time, was initially ‘delayed indefinitely’ after downpours pelted the track throughout Saturday morning. Earlier on Saturday morning, the F3 Feature Race was red-flagged early as drivers struggled to maintain traction on the wet track, before an accident brought running to a halt.

READ MORE: FIA Race Director explains plan if rain washes out Styrian Grand Prix qualifying

The race stewards announcement read: "After consultation and recommendation of the FIA Formula One Safety Delegate the Stewards decide that the Formula One Free Practice 3 will be cancelled due to the inclement weather and safety reasons in accordance with Art. 2.1.6.a and 11.9.3.m of the FIA International Sporting Code."

There are plans to get qualifying under way at 3pm local time on Saturday, but it could take place on Sunday morning if conditions do not improve. On Friday evening, FIA Race Director Michael Masi explained the options should it be too wet to run qualifying at the scheduled time.

“There’s lots of options to put it simply. If a worst-case scenario was to come about, we’ve already had a look and qualifying could take place on Sunday morning," he said.

“If we had a complete washout on Saturday, free practice three and qualifying didn’t take place and hypthetically qualifying couldn’t happen on Sunday morning because of weather, we would revert back to free practice two times."

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The grid will therefore line-up as per FP2 results (as below) if qualifying cannot take place on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning.

That would mean Max Verstappen would start on pole position, ahead of Valtteri Bottas, with Racing Point’s Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll locking out the second row.

Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton would start sixth, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel down in 16th and Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo last after he crashed in FP2.