Of the four red flags during the second hour of running at Suzuka, two were triggered when the grass verge caught fire.
The first occurred on the inside of the Dunlop Curve, the long left-hander at the end of the opening sequence of corners.
A second, larger fire, then broke out shortly afterwards at Spoon Curve.
In both instances, it’s believed sparks from the underside of the cars ignited the dry grass.
The FIA has announced a number of changes to prevent a repeat of the situation before cars return for Free Practice 3 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,” an FIA spokesperson announced.
“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.”
It is not the first time grass fires have impacted track action in recent years.
At last year’s Chinese Grand Prix, Friday practice was interrupted when fires broke out at Turn 7.
There, similar precautions were taken with emergency crews stationed nearby in addition to watering the area ahead of time.
F1 cars are scheduled to head back out on track at 11:30 local time tomorrow for a final hour of practice for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
It promises to be a crucial session given the interruptions during Free Practice 2.
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