It took three hours of steady rain to finally dampen the enthusiasm of tens of thousands of rabid Formula One fans.
With no action on track and the prospects of a resumption only getting bleaker by the minute, F1’s big return to Japan on Sunday was starting to look like it would end with a thud.
In the general admission areas of Suzuka Circuit, some took shelter under tents and others huddled in the labyrinthine pedestrian tunnels that run under the track. But many stayed put, fearful of losing the spots they’d staked out hours earlier.