Grass fires persisted during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend as Lando Norris secured a McLaren one-two finish in the final practice before qualifying in Suzuka.
The Saturday practice session faced two red flags due to fires near the track. The first came early in the session, and the second erupted just seven minutes before the scheduled end, which hindered several drivers from finishing their qualifying simulation runs.
Friday’s practice sessions faced similar interruptions, prompting the FIA, the sport’s governing body, to attempt solutions ahead of Saturday’s sessions. However, these measures fell short, as the mix of car sparks and dry grass led to further issues.
The disruptions became a serious concern for race officials with qualifying approaching on Saturday and Sunday’s race scheduled for early afternoon local time, although rain is forecast for earlier in the day.
After FP3, the FIA issued a statement saying, “Ahead of qualifying, all available time and resources will be focused on further dampening the grass before the session.”
In the hours leading up to Saturday’s qualifying, track marshals filled buckets and traffic cones with water to saturate vulnerable areas of the 5.824-kilometer (3.619-mile) circuit.
Charles Leclerc was among those affected by the second stoppage, having been blocked by Carlos Sainz’s Williams on his first flying lap before the session-ending fire prevented a second attempt. Between the fires and Jack Doohan’s crash in FP2, actual track time has been limited during practice this weekend.
(Top photo: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP via Getty Images)