FIA Takes Preventive Measures Against Grass Fires at Japanese Grand Prix
The second practice outing at Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix was disrupted by grass fires, leading to four red flags. The incidents occurred due to dry grass patches along the Suzuka track catching fire. The FIA is currently investigating the cause, with sparks from the cars’ titanium skid blocks being a plausible explanation.
Incident Analysis and Response
Friday’s session was marred by four red flags. Two were due to offs by Jack Doohan and Fernando Alonso, while the remaining two were triggered by grass fires. The first fire occurred with 13 minutes left, quickly extinguished by Suzuka marshals. However, in the dying seconds of the session, the grass ignited again, causing a more dramatic blaze that curtailed many drivers’ final push laps.
The FIA is still investigating the cause of these incidents, but it appears that sparks from the cars’ titanium skid blocks may be responsible.
Preventive Measures for Future Sessions
In light of these incidents, the FIA has announced preventative measures to avoid a repeat during Saturday’s final practice and qualifying sessions. The grass will be cut as short as possible, loose, dried grass removed from affected areas, and the grass will be dampened before the sessions. Specific response teams will also be stationed around the track.
A similar incident occurred at last year’s Chinese Grand Prix, when the sole practice session was halted for two separate grass fires. The FIA took similar measures at the time.
