‘Godzilla’s kid’ interrupts first practice at Singapore Grand Prix

Thomas Maher
Lizard on track at the Singapore Grand Prix. [Photo via F1, Twitter].

Lizard on track at the Singapore Grand Prix. [Photo via F1, Twitter].

There was a brief moment of levity in the first practice session at Marina Bay, with a big lizard running onto the track and causing a yellow flag at the Singapore Grand Prix.

This is not the first time that local wildlife in Singapore has made its way onto the circuit, with lizards having been a presence on the track in years gone by.

But this time around, a large lizard made its way onto the track on the exit of the Turn 8 hairpin, standing in the middle of the road and causing multiple drivers to take evasive action.

“Ah! There’s a lizard again on the track, a smaller one this time,” Max Verstappen exclaimed over team radio.

Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase then quipped in reply: “Understood. Maybe Godzilla had a kid.”

PlanetF1.com recommends

F1 2024 driver line-up: Who is confirmed for next season’s grid?

F1 live stream: Watch the Singapore Grand Prix weekend with F1 TV Pro!

But later on in the session, the yellow flags were out again as Carlos Sainz reported a second lizard on track as it came through Turn 9, interrupting the drivers on their way around the streets of Marina Bay.

And just before the end, George Russell clocked a third lizard on track that the drivers had to make their way around in Singapore, with preparations well underway for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Read next:Revealed: Red Bull ‘taking inspiration from competitors’ with Singapore upgrades