FIA's response as Suzuka F1 track catches fire twice
Formula 1

FIA's response as Suzuka F1 track catches fire twice

by Josh Suttill
1 min read

Formula 1's Japanese Grand Prix weekend kicked off with second practice being stopped twice because of the grass by the side of the Suzuka circuit catching fire.

There were four red flags in FP2 and while two were driver errors (Jack Doohan and Fernando Alonso) typical of the challenging Suzuka circuit, the other two stoppages were due to grass setting ablaze.

While those fires only halted a practice session, that has to be a concern for F1 should the same occur in qualifying or the grand prix - a red flag in the race in particular could have major ramifications on the result.

On Friday evening the FIA released the following statement: "While we continue to look into the fires that occurred during FP2, our focus before tomorrow will be on taking preemptive measures.

"The grass has been cut as short as possible, and loose, dried grass has been removed from affected areas.

"Prior to tomorrow’s sessions, the grass will be dampened, and specific response teams will be stationed around the track."

This is far from the first time that there's been a fire at an F1 circuit, as the opening day of last year's Chinese Grand Prix was also blighted by the track setting alight and causing delays.

There were conflicting theories as to the cause of those fires that were believed to have been ignited by sparks from the underside of passing F1 cars.

Some believed it was down to the grass having been painted ahead of the weekend while others thought it was triggered by gas from the underlying marsh.

As of yet, there doesn't appear to be a definitive explanation for the fires at Suzuka either.

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