FIA issue official announcement amid Japanese Grand Prix fires

The FIA have issued an official announcement, after the outbreak of fires around the Suzuka International Circuit marred Friday's practice sessions.

Dry, grassy areas around the track caught sparks flying off Formula 1 cars, resulting in multiple fires and the waving of two more red flags in an already incident-packed FP2 at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Jack Doohan had crashed into the barriers earlier in the session, while Fernando Alonso also experienced a big shunt, meaning the session had four red flags in total, hampering drivers' and teams' running on Friday.

In response, the FIA have issued an official statement on the unusual issues faced on Friday at the Japanese GP, suggesting that a plethora of changes will be made ahead of competitive running beginning on Saturday.

"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 statement read.

"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."

Japan weather causing bizarre problems

The warm, dry conditions associated with the Japanese spring has led to the grassy areas around the track dying, creating the perfect storm for fires to break out.

While temperatures are not particularly high at Suzuka this weekend, it is unlikely that any rain will be present, with sunny spells forecast on both Saturday and Sunday, thus potentially causing more fire-related issues.

The changes that the FIA have implemented follow some track changes that were announced before the start of Friday's practice, including a resurfacing of the track between Turns 1 and 8, and improved safety measures to protect marshal posts.

Drivers will be hoping that they can get more time on track during Saturday's FP3 session to fine tune their setups for qualifying, with just 20 minutes of the planned 60-minute FP2 session being under green flag conditions.

READ MORE: F1 Qualifying Today: Japanese Grand Prix 2025 start times, schedule and how to watch live on TV

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