Source: REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
[Saba Sports News] During the final practice session of last week’s F1 Singapore Grand Prix, a small incident occurred when track officials suddenly waved a red flag to interrupt the race due to a lizard appearing on the track. Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso happened to see the lizard on the track and was startled, saying, “It’s in the middle of the track.” He then returned to the pit. Subsequently, track officials removed the lizard from the track, and the event resumed after a brief interruption. According to local media reports, monitor lizards are quite common on Singapore Island, and a similar incident occurred during last year’s practice. The National Parks Board of Singapore stated that monitor lizards are usually shy and should be observed from a distance unless cornered or chased. There are three species of monitor lizards native to Singapore, with the largest being the Malayan water monitor, which can grow up to three meters long. Although their venom can kill prey, it is not lethal to humans. These animals are diurnal and sleep at night; they appeared three times during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, all shortly before sunset during practice sessions.