Fire on the track and a serious crash: a complicated session in Japan

Oscar Piastri takes the best time in the second session in Japan, clocking an impressive 1:28.114. His teammate, Lando Norris, is close behind, just +0.049 seconds behind. The big surprise of the day is Isack Hadjar, who completes the podium with a time +0.404 seconds behind the leader.

Photo: Mclaren

A very complicated session, in which the drivers were unable to complete many laps and the teams failed to execute their planned programs. Track activity was constantly interrupted by four red flags, the first of which was caused by a serious accident involving Jack Doohan, who had been unable to participate in the first session.

The incident occurred when, entering Turn 1, his car's DRS remained open, causing him to enter at high speed, lose control, and crash into the barriers. The car suffered severe damage, but fortunately, the driver was unharmed.

The second red flag was brought out by an error by Fernando Alonso, who went off the track, hit the grass, and ended up stuck in the gravel, unable to return by his own.

The last two interruptions were due to fires near the track. The dry, yellowish grass around the track allowed sparks generated by the cars to ignite small fires in those sections, forcing the session to be halted to ensure circuit safety.

Despite the interruptions, McLaren continues to demonstrate its outstanding speed, achieving the two fastest times of the session. The big surprise is Isack Hadjar, who, driving a Racing Bull, takes third place, ahead of Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull.

Another outstanding performance is that of his teammate, Liam Lawson, who finishes in a solid fifth place. However, due to the numerous red flags, the teams were unable to complete their work programs, and the data collected on track was limited.

Top 5

Oscar Piastri

Lando Norris

Isack Hadjar

Lewis Hamilton

Liam Lawson