Sudden flames
During free practice and Sprint Qualifying on Friday, the Formula 1 drivers and spectators found themselves faced with a decidedly unusual scene: the grass of an escape route on fire.
On the external lawn of Curva 5 iIn fact the flames, apparently born spontaneously, had enveloped a stretch of grass, blackening it and raising white smoke.
Both sessions were then red flagged, leaving a question mark for track activities on Saturday and Sunday.
Causes unknown
Indeed the Federation was unable to understand the reasons for what happened, not finding a convincing development to the theory of the fire that developed due to the sparks coming from the single-seaters. Different possible explanations have spread in the paddock, ranging from methane gas coming from underground (since the track was built on a reclaimed marshy area), through possible flammable dyes to have the grass bright green in colour, ending with possible chemical agents ended up on the grass from the liquid asphalt laid in 2023 in Shanghai. This last explanation seems rather imaginative, given the distance in time.
What did the FIA do
To guarantee the greatest possible safety for track activity on Saturday and Sunday, despite not having a clear picture, the International Federation has implemented preventive and rapid reaction measures in case the incident were to happen again: “While we are still not sure why such grass incidents occurred in yesterday's sessions, we are taking preventative measures. We will be watering the grass in the affected areas and there will be an emergency fire response team waiting in Turn 7“.
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