A major hit with the barrier for Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak resulted in a fiery crash during practice for the F2 weekend at Madrid.
Shortly after F3 practice wrapped up, the cars on the next step on the single-seater ladder made their way onto the new race track.
The session offered the drivers their first taste of the circuit, which is a new addition to the schedule.
However, just a handful of minutes into the practice outing, Inthraphuvasak found himself spinning at Turn 19 before making heavy contact with the barrier, rear-first.
The car immediately burst into flames as the fuel tank exploded, and while Inthraphuvasak was quick to jump out, it was some time before the trackside marshals could put the fire out.
It resulted in a lengthy clean-up operation of 24 minutes, posing a further challenge for the F2 drivers who only have this session to get up to speed before qualifying later today.
The session only resumed with six minutes left on the clock.
Inthraphuvasak's crash marked the second red flag of the day at the Madring track, as Nicola Lacorte made contact with the barrier towards the end of F3 practice.
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