SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 10 (AFP) - Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn said here Sunday the temporarily enforced format of qualifying and racing on the same day at the Japanese Grand Prix was not as difficult as had been expected.
The Suzuka circuit was due to be hit by Typhoon Ma-on Saturday and organisers cancelled plans to run qualifying and closed the circuit in fear of devastation from heavy rain and high winds.
The revised schedule saw two qualifying sessions and the race crammed into seven hours Sunday but Brawn said the challenge had been an enjoyable one and could be a pointer towards possible format changes in the future.
"It was a different format for us and in some ways we enjoyed it because it was a different way to go racing," said Brawn. "It wasn't that much pressure, to be honest because there was nothing we could do.
"You get into qualifying and then the regulations state that you have got parc ferme between qualifying and the race (where you cannot touch the cars) so you cannot frantically run around because you actually cannot do anything.
"It was quite successful. I think if it were to be the format the teams would adjust a little bit more and it wouldn't be a problem. But it is a bit of an early rise on a Sunday!
"I don't know if qualifying on a Sunday morning is something we should have or not, but it wasn't a problem for us."
Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher won the race with ease after claiming pole position in the early morning session but he was less convinced that the format was as successful as Brawn claimed.
"I think that this day goes down to history in Formula One and I am pretty sure some people will wonder whether we should continue to do it that way," said Schumacher. "I have to say it was exciting but I prefer the old style.
"It's strange if all the time you think you will go straight out on Sunday morning and have to do a qualifying lap without any preparation, anything, if you had different weather conditions.
"We have a whole weekend so there is no reason to rush through and just have everything on one day, as some people wish to. That's my point of view. It puts more stress on the mechanics and the preparation."
The ever-increasing number of races on the calendar has begun to cause concern after new venues in Bahrain and China increased it to 18 this year with Turkey coming in as another addition in 2005.
Brawn said the number is now "at its limit" because the engineers and mechanics cannot cope with much more time on the road away from their homes and families between March and October.
The possibility of two-day race weekends has been discussed in the past and Brawn said that, after unexpectedly trying out an effective one-day race weekend there could be time for change.
"It is fair to say Ferrari have been an advocate of two-day race meetings for quite a long time," said Brawn. "We have always felt that three days might be too long and Saturday and Sunday is perfectly adequate.
"You can prepare on Saturday morning, qualify in the afternoon, race on Sunday or maybe have a second qualifying on Sunday morning. There are lots of things you can look at."