Four fires in two days spark F1 team fury as safety fears grow ahead of qualifying at the iconic Suzuka Circuit in Japan.
Formula 1 teams are calling on the FIA to take urgent action ahead of qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix after four separate trackside fires disrupted practice sessions at Suzuka.
The third free practice session (FP3) saw two red flags due to fires—one just six minutes in at Turn 12, and another at the high-speed 130R corner that ultimately cut the session short.
These incidents followed similar disruptions in Friday’s second practice (FP2), frustrating teams and limiting valuable track time, especially for those preparing qualifying simulations.
“This really threw us off,” said Williams team principal James Vowles. “When you’re trying to get into rhythm, you need a few laps on soft tyres to nail it—and we didn’t get that. No one did.”
The fires also prevented drivers like Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz from completing their qualifying runs, with some teams concerned about fairness heading into the weekend.
In response to Friday’s events, the FIA took quick action overnight—watering the grass and trimming areas around the circuit to reduce fire risks. But those measures didn’t hold up, as fresh fires broke out again on Saturday, raising serious safety and logistical concerns.
Teams now fear that the early moments of each qualifying session will be chaotic as drivers rush to set lap times before more potential red flags.
“We had a chat with the FIA after FP3,” Vowles added. “Nobody wants this situation. It’s equal for everyone, sure—but it’s not ideal for anyone.”
“The only real safeguard we have right now is to get out early and try to avoid being caught out. But that’s not a solution.”
The FIA has acknowledged the issue and confirmed it will introduce additional safety measures before qualifying begins, as requested by teams like Williams.
“They tried watering the grass,” Vowles noted, “but they’ll need to go beyond that if they want to keep things under control.”
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F1 Teams Demand FIA Action After Suzuka Fire Chaos
F1 Teams Demand FIA Action After Suzuka Fire Chaos