Watch: Lizard on track delays practice at Singapore Grand Prix

Marina Bay Street Circuit has history when it comes to reptiles disrupting proceedings

Lando Norris set the pace in final practice ahead of qualifying for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix. But the McLaren driver was given a run for his money by a large monitor lizard who briefly brought the session to a halt.
As drivers watched on in amusement from their garages, the rogue reptile showed a marshal a clean pair of heels as it raced along the track, evading capture.
Some monitor lizards can reach speeds of up to 10 metres a second (33ft/s) or 22mph, rivalling the aquatic leatherback turtle as the fastest extant reptile.
There were only two drivers on track at the time – Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Alonso was told by his race engineer to watch out for the lizard.
“We are told the track is clear but just have a look for the lizard,” the Spaniard was informed.
“No, it’s in the middle of the track,” the double world champion replied as he skirted it and returned to the pit lane.
Sky television commentator David Croft named it Larry, suggesting it had the purposeful stride of Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll.
The interruption was brief before practice resumed with just over 45 minutes left on the clock.
Lizards have been a regular hazard at the grand prix, with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase dubbing one particularly large specimen “Godzilla” in 2016.
When a smaller one emerged during last year’s practice (watch below), Lambiase suggested “maybe Godzilla had a kid”.
Monitor lizards are typically shy, according to Singapore’s National Parks Board, unless cornered. They are also diurnal, meaning they sleep at night – a relief for organisers of the night race. FP3 took place just before sunset in Singapore.
Norris, who is trying to make inroads into Max Verstappen’s championship lead, topped the session, with his best lap time 0.479 of a second quicker than Mercedes’ George Russell. Norris’s 1min 29.646sec was the fastest lap ever recorded at the Marina Bay circuit. His McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri with third quickest.
Norris is 59 points behind Verstappen with seven races of the season remaining.