While the Chinese GP saw an exciting Sprint Qualifying session, there were a few unfortunate incidents involving the track. During the first practice session, a red flag was thrown when the grass around turn 5 suddenly caught on fire. Just as everyone hoped it was an isolated event, it happened again during Sprint Qualifying.
As the commentators were trying to decode why the grass was catching on fire, F1 Journalist, Chris Medland went straight to the FIA. He then posted on X with the statement from the FIA.
FIA gives clarity on the mysterious fire at the Chinese GP
While the fire was concerning, the FIA has given a rather simple explanation for it.
“After a first review of the video footage, it seems like it is sparks coming from cars igniting the fire in the grass run-off area.”
The FIA thinks that the cause of the fire is nothing but the sparks coming out of the skid blocks of the car. But if this is the case, why has this not been a problem at every other track? This is something that has not yet been addressed by the FIA.
On the fires so far today, the FIA states: “After a first review of the video footage, it seems like it is sparks coming from cars igniting the fire in the grass run-off area.” #F1 #ChineseGP
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) April 19, 2024
What we do know is that a coat of bitumen was recently applied on the track to protect it from erosion. There is no doubt that the component is flammable. It is unsure if the bitumen along with the combination of the sparks is what caused this fire on the grass. However, it seems unlikely. It is possible that the high wind speeds during the sessions also played a part in aggravating the flames.
While these are all theories as to why the fire might not have occurred in other circuits, we will need to wait for a more detailed investigation from the FIA on the matter to understand further.
What do you think caused the fires during FP1 and SQ1 at the Chinese Grand Prix? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
Rohit Kumar 
Sara Chavan