Many race-goers walked out of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve during the Canadian grand prix’s excruciatingly-long rain delay.
“Stay or go? That was the question that haunted the soaked audience on Sunday afternoon,” wrote La Presse.

The Montreal rain caused the F1 world and its global television audience to wait more than two hours for the rain to stop.

But spare a thought for the drenched local spectators who had nothing to watch but the rivers running down the track.

“I never thought about leaving,” one spectator, who travelled from New York with his brother, said. “We came too far to give up that easily!”

A Montreal local added: “I have waited for this all year. It’s the biggest sports event in Canada.”

The press office for the race promoters would not speculate upon the percentage of the crowd that remained until the late chequered flag, but spectators guessed that between 25 and 50 per cent went home.

“It was just common sense,” said one departee, who had come with his 10-year-old son. “It was like a flood and not at all fun in those conditions.

“But we still had a great weekend in Montreal,” he added.

A spectator from New Jersey also left: “It was like being in the centre of a typhoon, with the rain so strong I dared not move from my seat. I can understand why they had to suspend the race.”

Another couple had attended every Canadian grand prix since 1978 but decided to leave when the red flags were waved.

“Anyway, Vettel is going to win,” said the woman at the exit.

Fernando Alonso was fastest in both of Friday’s practice sessions at Spa-Francorchamps.

But after emerging from his Red Bull with the 18th quickest time in the afternoon, championship leader Mark Webber warned observers not to read too much into the first day’s results.

Indeed, the track was wet for most of the running, and when the sun was shining at the end, the red flags were waving due to spectators climbing a perimeter fence.

But on a late dash on dry tyres, Alonso followed up his wet morning time with the best time of the day in the afternoon, causing HRT driver Karun Chandhok to describe Ferrari’s pace as “ominious” on BBC radio.

The Italian team has another blown diffuser development in Belgium this weekend.

“I think we have improved the car over the last three grands prix, which means we now have a very competitive package,” said Spaniard Alonso.

Sebastian Vettel’s sixth place was the fastest Red Bull time on Friday afternoon, but Alonso said on Thursday that the Austrian-owned team is still favourite.

“I don’t see how they would lose a one second advantage since Hungary, but this race and the next one at Monza requires special low downforce and it will be interesting to see who makes the best job of running this configuration,” he said.