China's notoriously murky air cut short practice sessions at the Chinese Grand Prix, prompting speculation of a radical schedule shuffle to prevent the race being scuttled entirely.
Smog and damp weather combined to interrupt morning practice and force the cancellation of the afternoon running without title hopefuls Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel logging any timed laps.
Formula One officials also said the race's medical helicopter would not have been able to land at a suitable hospital in the city, where poor visibility had caused a number of commercial flight delays.
With further poor conditions forecast, one option for organisers could be to bring the race forward from Sunday to Saturday as a precaution, while Hamilton offered an alternative suggestion.
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