FIA investigates grass fires at Japanese Grand Prix

Dominika Jordan
Apr 4, 2025, 08:11 AM ET

FIA investigates grass fires disrupting Japan GP practice, taking measures to remove and dampen grass at Suzuka.

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Suzuka, Japan - The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has launched an investigation into the trackside grass fires that disrupted the second practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday. Organizers are taking immediate measures to prevent any recurrence throughout the remainder of the weekend.

The second practice at the iconic Suzuka Circuit was halted four times due to red flags. On two occasions, small grass fires were sparked by debris emitted from the back of cars as they raced past. These fires were quickly extinguished, but not before causing significant interruptions to the session.

Further red flags were issued after Alpine's Jack Doohan spun off in Turn 1, resulting in a severe crash, and Fernando Alonso veered off track, beaching his Aston Martin in the gravel.

"While we continue to look into the fires that occurred during FP2, our focus before tomorrow will be on taking preemptive measures," the governing FIA said in a statement. "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."

This is not the first time grass fires have caused issues in Formula 1. Last year's practice session at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai was also interrupted by a red flag due to a similar incident.

The Formula 1 season continues on Saturday with another practice session and qualifying for Sunday's much-anticipated race. The FIA's swift response aims to ensure that these sessions run smoothly without further incident.