Red Bull/Getty Images
Formula 1 teams are set to face a busy final practice session prior to qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix due to a disrupted Friday at the Sochi Autodrom.
A spillage from a track cleaning machine early in the day caused the first session to be truncated, while the water sprayed onto the circuit in an attempt to remove the suspected diesel left drivers facing difficult conditions.
The situation was exacerbated in the second session as rain left the circuit soaked and only eight drivers posted lap times.
"The surface of the track has not evolved considerably since last year, with the newness of the asphalt meaning that it’s not as porous as more established venues, so the water remained on the track for a while," said Paul Hembery, motorsport director of Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli.
"It’s a shame for the fans that they didn’t get to see more running at this fantastic circuit, but with better weather expected over the rest of the weekend, we should be in for an exciting couple of days ahead.
"Tomorrow, the teams will be left with a very big workload in FP3 as they prepare for qualifying and the race in just one hour of what we expect to be dry running."
