Yet another bizarre delay at Suzuka: Grass fires continue to blaze during F1 qualifying
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I am a passionate and knowledgeable Formula 1 fan who has watched the sport since age five, watching every single race. Having karted competitively throughout my teens, I understand what it takes to be a racing driver, and every aspect of motorsports fascinates me. I am now studying sports journalism at the University of Gloucestershire with the hopes of one day landing a dream role in motorsport. As well as English, I speak Spanish fluently after living there for some time when I was younger.
Another unexpected fire has disrupted qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, with flames breaking out on one of the grassy areas beside the track. This marks yet another incident in a weekend that has already seen multiple fire-related interruptions.
During Q2, the session was red-flagged after a fire ignited near the edge of the asphalt. The blaze, which occurred midway through the session, forced marshals into action as they worked quickly to extinguish it.
Despite organizers' attempts to mitigate the issue—such as dampening the grass more heavily—the preventative measures appear to have had little effect. The fire was eventually brought under control, and the session has since resumed.
This ongoing "fire problem" has raised questions about safety protocols and track maintenance at Suzuka, particularly with similar flare-ups occurring throughout the weekend.
The FIA's statement
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The FIA since explained: "Grass fire on the inside of 130R. Given there’s 8:30 left on the clock, it’s been decided to red flag the session and resume once the fire has been put out and the area watered again."
This article was written in collaboration with Marnik Kok
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