Ahead of today's opening practice session, the air temperature is 11 degrees C, while the track temperature is 11.9 degrees. It is cold, misty and wet, and likely to remain like that for much of the weekend. Indeed, there is an 80% chance of rain.

On a brighter note, Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott make their FP1 debuts this morning, with Alfa Romeo and Haas respectively.

Also, having missed out at Mugello and Sochi, Sergio Perez finally gets his hands on the full upgrade package only available previously to Lance Stroll.

There's a late scare that visibility might be insufficient for the medical helicopter to take off, the session will start on time.

That said, moments later race control announces that though the session will begin on time the pit lane exit will not open as conditions have worsened and the medical helicopter cannot fly. Or rather it can fly, but it cannot land, not in Koblenz where the nearest suitable hospital is located.

As the clock counts down to 11:30 conditions have actually worsened. A further delay of half-an-hour would leave just thirty minutes of potential running.

Sure enough, at 11:30 race control announces a further 30 minute delay.

At 12:00 race control confirms that with no change to the weather the pitlane exit will not open... in cricket parlance, rain stopped play.

While it might be good weather for ducks, Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott will be hugely disappointed, as will the teams as not having raced here since 2013 there was much needed to be learned from this session.

Check out our Friday gallery from the Nurburgring, here.