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.

With drivers reporting undriveable conditions and the local radar predicting even heavier rain ahead, the FIA has reserved a 10am timeslot for Sunday morning qualifying at Suzuka.

“I really don’t think there is going to be qualifying,” said Sebastien Buemi’s race engineer, just before Toro Rosso’s Swiss driver entered the circuit and spun during Saturday morning practice.

Lotus’ Mike Gascoyne confirmed that the weather forecast for qualifying is for even worse conditions than in practice, where the McLaren and Ferrari drivers were eventually grounded due to rivers of water causing aquaplaning.

“I cannot even drive on the straight,” complained Jaime Alguersuari.

Gascoyne told the BBC: “If it’s like this, they’ll have to look at postponing qualifying until tomorrow morning.”

Suzuka qualifying was run on Sunday morning in 2004 in order to avoid the typhoon Ma-on.

David Coulthard is taking a special interest in the developing events at Suzuka, having been scheduled as Red Bull’s reserve driver for the Japanese weekend.

The team’s usual reserve Daniel Ricciardo is in Europe for Formula Renault.

“Would I cope with the rigours of a race?” Coulthard wrote in the Telegraph.  “Well, I’m in semi race-trim now but physically it would be tough, I must admit.”

Bernie Ecclestone on Sunday insisted next month’s Korean grand prix will go ahead.

It has emerged that despite September 21 being the originally belated date for the Yeongam circuit’s final inspection, the FIA is not now expected to sign off the track until next week or even later.

A South Korean delegation is in Singapore this weekend, triggering the latest round of paddock rumours about whether the race will take place — including talk of a looming typhoon.

“We’re happy with the circuit at the moment,” F1 chief executive Ecclestone told the Korea Herald newspaper from Singapore.

He played down the rumours that the track will not be ready.

“I don’t take a lot of notice of rumours,” said the Briton, explaining the reasons for the delayed inspection.

“We waited for an obvious reason, because the weather’s been bad.  The federation (FIA) seems very happy with what’s happened, with everything that will happen,” he added.

Ecclestone also denied suggestions that FIA rules will prevent Korea from holding a race in 2011 if the inspection does not go well.

“We signed a contract,” he said.  “I can’t discuss this (outcome), because it’s going to happen.”

Ecclestone admitted that he does not expect a big crowd for October’s inaugural event.

“People are reading complete rubbish in papers that it is not going to happen, so I don’t estimate a big, big crowd,” explained the 79-year-old.