The early stages of the Fuji GT 300km at Fuji Speedway were thrown into chaos when a car went flying into the air at speed. The competitors were only five laps into the race when Nakajima Racing driver Igor Fraga went airborne on the straight.
The car, which was flung into the air, came crashing back down and clattered into the track. The drivers had already been under safety car conditions, with water present on the track following pre-race rain in the Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan.
Racing conditions had just resumed when Fraga was touched by competitor Akimasa Takaboshi, sending the No.64 Modulo Honda Prelude into the sky. Takaboshi was looking to overtake Fraga, but ultimately got it wrong, leaving the former to lick his wounds.
Remarkably, Fraga landed but didn’t come into contact with any of the other cars on the track. His competitors were able to pass beside him unharmed, with the race having been immediately stopped and red flag conditions enforced.
Emergency services were quick to see to Fraga and despite a visit to the hospital, he escaped the terrifying incident without any serious injuries. Meanwhile, as the race was brought to a halt, Takaboshi and Bertand Baguette, who was also in close quarters, were seen sharing their thoughts on what happened.
The track itself is one of the most famous in Japan, given its location in the foothills of Mount Fuji. While it still lives in the shadows of the more illustrious Suzuka, Fuji has hosted four Formula One races in the past.
The first of which came in 1976 when James Hunt clinched the world championship from Niki Lauda – another race that was marred by heavy downpour. The race was won by Mario Andretti, with Hunt finishing on the top spot of the podium the following year.
That was it for the next 30 years, before it returned in 2007. Lewis Hamilton took first in a race that was, you guessed it, impacted by rain, while in the next season, Fernando Alonso took top spot.
There was a plan to include Fuji as part of the regular schedule, with it hosting alternate Japanese Grand Prix races alongside Suzuka. However, the deal didn’t get ratified, meaning the picturesque circuit hasn’t returned to Formula One since.