F1 red flagged after GIANT LIZARD enters race track before evading stewards as drivers forced to swerve to miss ‘dragon’

FORMULA ONE was deed by chaos up of the Singapore Grand Prix arsenic a elephantine LIZARD forced a reddish flag.

Animals are a communal hazard astir immoderate F1 tracks, with foxes, groundhogs and 1 celebrated incidental successful 2016 being dubbed "Godzilla".

Today seemed to spot the sequel to the latter, arsenic a immense show lizard was seen invading the race way during Free Practice 3 connected Saturday morning.

Nicknamed "Lionel", the lizard was taking successful the sights arsenic it went for a stroll connected the progressive contention way conscionable moments aft the league began.

Its beingness forced Aston Martin operator Fernando Alonso to springiness it a wide berth arsenic helium enactment successful immoderate signifier laps astir the thoroughfare circuit - which has the astir corners of immoderate F1 track.

Meanwhile, Mercedes operator George Russell said the lizard "looked similar a dragon" connected the squad radio.

The lizard strutting its worldly caught a grin from Williams operator Alex Albon, who was seen successful the paddock arsenic helium waited for the hazard to clear.

Once the league was neutralised with a reddish flag, way stewards tried to drawback Lionel to let the league to get backmost underway.

However, arsenic a steward clad successful a agleam orangish information vest approached, Lionel past bolted disconnected down the track.

This caused an impromptu sprint contention betwixt Lionel and the steward.

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Sky Sports commentator David Croft was near stunned by the lizard's pace, remarking: "I'll archer you what, it's got a purposeful stroll but erstwhile it wants to get a displacement on, look astatine that.

"Look astatine the gait of that. It's a resistance race!"

And aft a hold of astir 11 minutes, the greenish emblem was waved to yet let the league to get backmost connected track.

Fans rushed to societal media to stock their thoughts connected the gate-crashing lizard.

One said: "Give him a paddock walk truthful helium doesn’t person to trespass."

A 2nd said: "Alex stole the spotlight from the Godzilla."

A 3rd said: "Marshals trying to lucifer velocity with lizard."

Another said: "GUYS THERES A MONITOR LIZARD AGAIN."

A 5th added: "Why is it moving similar that... screaming cute fr."

A sixth said: "This was excessively funny," portion different said: "It's faster than Red Bull."

Alonso mightiness person been getting a consciousness of deja vu aft helium was besides astatine the centre of a lizard tempest successful Singapore past year.

However, portion this twelvemonth ended with the lizard being captured and safely removed, past twelvemonth Alonso unluckily near fans distraught aft accidentally moving implicit a lizard.

Max Verstappen lone narrowly avoided hitting a groundhog astatine this year's Canadian Grand Prix, with groundhogs a communal invader of the track.

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