Atmosphere of the circuit – fire extinguishers secured by track marshals. April 5, 2024. Formula 1 World Championship, Stage 4, Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka, Japan, Practice Day.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) intends to conduct a more detailed investigation into two cases of grass fires that caused interruptions during the first day of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix weekend.
During the one-hour practice at the Shanghai International Circuit, the session was interrupted after 15 minutes due to the peculiar sight of smoke on the inside grass of Turn 7. Track marshals responded quickly to the situation and the session resumed in five minutes. However, the issue occurred again during the subsequent Sprint Qualifying opening segment.
An initial assessment suggests that sparks from ground-effect cars may have been caught by gusts of wind and blown onto the grass, causing the fires. However, due to the absence of recent visits to China in the last five seasons, there is no historical precedent to support this theory.
The FIA had already inspected the area where the small fire occurred between the two sessions. However, they now plan to initiate a more detailed examination before tomorrow’s events.
There are theories suggesting that the Shanghai circuit, built on a marshland, may have led to methane gas rising to the surface and igniting. Autosport reports that the FIA’s initial assessment found no smells or abnormal evidence in the sector indicating issues.
With the truncated Sprint scheduled to take place tomorrow, the governing body of the sport will be eager to avoid further interruptions in the race. Lando Norris of McLaren will lead the pack in the 19-lap race, which will start at 11am local time. Lewis Hamilton, a six-time winner in China, will start alongside him on the front row.
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