Heavy rain expected for ‘twilight’ GP

UPDATE (GMM) With now less than two hours to go until the Australian grand prix, the skies above Albert Park are still grey.

The grass in the paddock is damp in the wake of regular drizzle and light rain so far, even though the track surface itself has never been very wet throughout the support races.

But specialist weather forecasters at the track, led by F1's expert service provided by Meteo France, are predicting a high chance of heavy rain around the time of the 5pm start time.

Veteran Rubens Barrichello said on Sunday that he is worried the unlit venue will be "pitch dark" at about 6pm if the weather is bad.

In dry conditions, the 'twilight' race time – designed so that European viewers can watch the race in the early morning rather than the dead of night – upset the drivers in 2009 due to the setting sun.

"We raised our concerns but nothing has changed," said Lotus' Jarno Trulli.

03/28/10 (GMM) After the processional 2010 season opener in Bahrain, Sunday's Australian grand prix could be an exciting spectacle.

A few hours before the race, the sky above Albert Park is dark and grim, and drops of rain have been falling lightly for some time.

It is not enough at present to drench the Melbourne track, but after light overnight rain in the region, forecasters are predicting more of the same throughout Sunday.