CNN
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Intruders from the animal kingdom are not uncommon in sports either. Whether dogs on the field at football games or cats at NFL games – disruptions from our furry friends have been an integral part of the game for years.
But in the final practice session on Saturday before the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, a unique sight occurred when an adventurous lizard put an end to the action.
The curious reptile ventured onto the Marina Bay Street Circuit and ran around carefree as cars sped past at terrifying speeds.
To protect the drivers – and the lizard – the session was red-flagged, meaning all drivers had to return to the pit lane while the reptile was removed.
The official Formula 1 account called it the “weirdest red flag ever,” and some drivers were visibly confused by the lizard.
Mercedes driver George Russell was heard asking: “What on earth is that thing?!” When his engineers explained it was a lizard, the British driver replied: “A what?! It looks like a dragon!”
When the drivers returned to the pit lane, it was the marshals’ job to remove the lizard from the track so that the race could continue.
Two stewards – one armed with a plastic bag – were lucky enough to be allowed to remove the reptile, leading to the strange sight of two people chasing a scurrying lizard on a Formula 1 race track.
The strangeness of the moment was not lost on everyone. TV cameras showed RB driver Daniel Ricciardo laughing as he watched the footage. The F1 X account again succinctly described the situation, saying: “Things are getting surreal.”
Finally, the lizard was removed from the track and the final training continued.
This is not the first time a lizard has interrupted a race in Singapore. In 2016, Max Verstappen laughingly complained about a “giant lizard” on the track during practice before it hastily ran away, escaping the cars speeding past.
