Fans of Formula One were left devastated as a giant lizard nicknamed 'Godzilla's kid' interrupted the Singapore GP practice session and tragically met its end when it was run over by a car.
Max Verstappen forced to swerve
Dutchman Max Verstappen, the current champion, had to quickly maneuver to avoid hitting the lizard during the warm-up for this weekend's race in Southeast Asia.
With temperatures soaring in Singapore, exotic creatures like this lizard are thriving in the hot and humid climate.
Reptile calmly crosses the track
The giant reptile, believed to be a monitor lizard, casually wandered across the track during Friday's practice session, seemingly unfazed by the speeding cars.
This wasn't Verstappen's first encounter with a lizard in Singapore, as he famously faced off against one in 2016.
Max Verstappen faced a lizard in Singapore in 2016
Drivers and fans react
Verstappen exclaimed over the team radio, "There’s a lizard again on the track! A smaller one this time." His team jokingly responded, "Maybe Godzilla had a kid."
Williams driver George Russell also encountered the lizard during his laps, commenting, "Another lizard but a different one this time!"
While some fans found the incident amusing, others expressed heartbreak as news spread that the lizard had been run over by a passing car.
Ferrari dominates practice
On the track, Charles Leclerc finished in first place, closely followed by Carlos Sainz, making it a one-two for Ferrari. Verstappen came in third, with Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top five.
All eyes will be on tomorrow's qualifying round to see if the daring lizard makes another appearance.
