KIMI RAIKKONEN was involved in a scary incident during the second free practice session in Abu Dhabi as his car burst into flames.
The veteran Formula One racer, 41, was racing around the track as his Alfa Romeo suddenly spat fire out of the back.
Kimi Raikkonen’s car burst into flames during Abu Dhabi GP free practice
Veteran star Raikkonen jumped out of the car and helped put the fire out
With the fire getting worse, Raikkonen was quick to pull over and jump out of the car after his team ordered him to escape.
An Alfa Romeo team member shouted a warning through the radio, saying: “Big fire. Get the hell out of there, quick.”
Eventually, help arrived and the flames died down after a heavy dousing from a fire extinguisher.
Using all of his experience, Raikkonen then took the extinguisher himself and aimed it right at the heart of the fire, ensuring there were no sparks remaining.
The Finnish star appeared to be unharmed as he circled his Alfa Romeo, ensuring no further damage would be done, before catching a lift back to the paddock on a marshal’s vehicle.
The car was lifted onto the back of a tow-truck by a crane, in no fit state to be driven back to the team garage.
The incident brought with it a ten-minute red flag, meaning Raikkonen could face a penalty for Sunday’s race.
The incident came just two weeks after Romain Grosjean was involved in a horror, 140mph crash in Bahrain.
Raikkonen’s car was taken away on a tow truck after the fire was put outCredit: Splash News
Raikkonen caught a lift back to the paddock on the back of a marshal’s buggyCredit: Splash News
The Haas star sustained just severe burns to his hands, with his life saved only by his halo device after his car smashed through the guardrails.
Back in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton was back on the track as he made his return following his coronavirus scare in Bahrain.
The British star, 35 – already world champion for the 2020 season – missed the Sakhir GP with the virus, admitting to enduring the ‘hardest week’.
But Hamilton didn’t miss a beat during his absence, finishing second in free practice two, just 0.203 seconds behind Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third as George Russell – Hamilton’s Mercedes replacement in Sakhir – ended up 18th back at Williams.
Lewis Hamilton expresses appreciation for support after testing positive for COVID-19 coronavirus
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
