Small Fire Interrupts First Practice Session at Chinese Grand Prix

The first practice session at the Chinese Grand Prix got off to a fiery start as a small blaze erupted at the edge of the track at the Shanghai International Circuit. The unexpected interruption occurred about 15 minutes into the session, prompting red flags to be shown as stewards rushed to extinguish the grass fire near turn seven.

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon alerted his team over the radio, saying, “There is a fire in the grass,” leaving everyone puzzled as to how it could have happened. Even the Sky Sports commentators were taken aback, with David Croft expressing his disbelief, “I don’t think I have ever, ever seen grass catch fire by the side of a Formula 1 track.”

After a quick response from the track officials, the flame was put out, and the practice session resumed shortly after. Despite the unexpected incident, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll managed to set the fastest time in Friday’s practice, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen following closely behind in second and third place, respectively.

The return of Formula 1 to China after a five-year hiatus due to the pandemic has brought excitement and anticipation to the fans, especially for local hero Zhou Guanyu. The Sauber driver, who hails from Shanghai, is eager to perform well in front of his home crowd and secure his first race win.

With the midfield battle heating up and the competition fierce, Zhou remains optimistic about his chances of scoring points in either the sprint race on Saturday or the grand prix on Sunday. As the anticipation builds for the weekend ahead, all eyes will be on Zhou and the rest of the drivers as they gear up for an action-packed race at the Shanghai International Circuit.