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FIA to take measures to prevent more fires during Japanese GP
F1
Two fires during second practice had curtailed the running at Suzuka, so the FIA is taking action to avoid a repeat
Marshals look for debris during practice for the Japanese GP
The FIA has announced it will introduce measures to combat the grass fires that triggered red flags during second practice for the Japanese Grand Prix.
The afternoon running was interrupted four times, twice due to fires that appeared on the grass between the Dunlop and Degner One corners, and later on a bigger area about the Spoon corner.
The fires were the result of the sparks from the cars flying onto the dry grass thanks to the windy conditions.
Although they were put out quickly, the stoppages affected several drivers who were unable to complete their soft-tyre runs near the end of the 60-minute session.
To avoid a repeat of the situation, Formula 1’s ruling body, the FIA, announced a series of measures that will be taken during the reminder of the weekend.
“While we continue to look into the fires that occurred during FP2, our focus before tomorrow will be on taking pre-emptive measures,” the FIA said in a statement shared with media.
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“The grass has been cut as short as possible, and loose, dried grass has been removed from affected areas.
“Prior to tomorrow’s sessions, the grass will be dampened, and specific response teams will be stationed around the track.”
While the fires caused two red flags, the lengthiest stoppage was caused by Jack Doohan‘s crash at Turn 1 after the Alpine driver took the corner with his DRS open.
The other red flag was triggered by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who beached his car when he went off at Degner One.
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