23/10/2015
NEWS STORY
It was good weather for ducks at the Circuit of The Americas today; less good for the Manor Marussia F1 Team, who were looking to get their 2015 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix weekend underway. With the exception of several rainless windows in this morning's Free Practice 1 session, the heavens were perpetually open for the first day of running.
The team's drivers Alexander Rossi and Will Stevens completed just 24 laps between them this morning, Alex ending the session in 18th place and Will 19th. This afternoon the rain was relentless and the session was delayed indefinitely before finally being cancelled.
Alexander Rossi: "After all the promotional activity this past week, I was looking forward to finally getting stuck into on the racing side of things. But the weather definitely had other ideas and instead it's been a little frustrating standing on the sidelines with little opportunity for running. It doesn't look like it will get any better tomorrow either! 11 laps wasn't quite what I was hoping for today, but we're all in the same boat. Literally!"
Will Stevens: "It's always frustrating to have to spend practically a whole day of running confined to the garage, particularly when this is a new circuit for me and I really want to get stuck into the programme. Fingers crossed we'll have a few dry moments tomorrow."
John Booth, Team Principal: "There isn't much to report from the opening day of running here; mainly on the basis that we didn't do very much! Alex's much-vaunted home soil debut was much briefer than perhaps he and the crowds had hoped for and I'm sure he and Will are equally frustrated to have such a fruitless Friday. I would say we're hoping for better conditions tomorrow, but judging by the forecast I think we're in for more of the same. Hopefully, it will all come good on Sunday."
Check out our Friday gallery, here.