» Heavy rain forecast for Saturday at Suzuka

Despite dry conditions for Friday’s two practice sessions at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, weather forecasters are predicting that heavy rain will lash the circuit tomorrow, potentially threatening the event’s scheduling and causing disruptions to qualifying.

Rain has been a generally typical feature of the Japanese Grand Prix, with previous year’s races affected by rain interruptions.

One team that probably won’t be praying for rain is Red Bull, which is currently enjoying a comfortable margin over its nearest rivals around the high-speed Japanese circuit. Its RB6 has generally performed less competitively in mixed-weather conditions this season.

“The weather looks a bit strange on Saturday and that might not be that beneficial to us,” Mark Webber said after today’s practice sessions.

Weather forecasters are predicting better conditions for Sunday’s race, although believe that showers could hit the circuit in the morning, which might see the 24-car grid starting on a still-damp track surface.

[Original image via Wonderduck]