Key details emerge about Jack Doohan's 300kph crash in the F1 Japanese GP: Reports
Jack Doohan had a scary crash during the FP2 session of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. He spun at Turn 1 and crashed into the barriers at the speed of 300 kph but escaped without injuries. Interestingly, the Alpine driver was reportedly running with his DRS open, which led to a quick shunt.
The FP2 session of the Japanese GP was chaotic as multiple red flags led to disruptions. The first red flag was raised in less than 10 minutes into the session as Doohan had crashed on Turn 1.
The replay showed that the Alpine driver lost control of his car on Turn 1 and hit the barriers with extreme speed. His car was torn into pieces, but the driver escaped unhurt without any serious injuries or concussion.
Meanwhile, a report from Auto Motor und Sport claims that Doohan's crash happened due to a DRS trick. Apparently, the Australian driver tested a trick on the simulator, which allowed him to pass Turn 1 with open DRS.
However, the trick didn't work in reality. Strong wind gusts were flowing across the Suzuka circuit during the FP2 session, and Jack Doohan tried to pass Turn 1 without applying brakes, keeping his DRS flaps open. The end result was a brutal crash, which leaves Alpine engineers with tons of repair work.
Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes said about the incident:
"We are all relieved that Jack escaped this accident unscathed. It was a misjudgment not to close the DRS at the entrance to Turn 1. We will learn from this. I know Jack and the team are ready for tomorrow."
The Suzuka International Circuit is always tricky to race and for debutants like Doohan, the windy conditions made it even more difficult to adjust. The DRS trick was the final nail in the coffin as the Aussie faced the consequences of a costly error in judgment.
Jack Doohan reacts to his big crash in Japan
Alpine driver Jack Doohan caused a red flag in the FP2 session of the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix as he crashed his car at turn 1. The strong impact caused heavy damage to his car, but the Australian driver escaped without any injuries.
Meanwhile, in a post-session interview, Doohan revealed that he was caught off-guard by the sudden crash.
"It was a heavy one, something that caught me by surprise, and I will learn from it. I know the team has a lot of work ahead to repair the car going into tomorrow, so thanks in advance to them for their efforts. My focus is on tomorrow, where we will have free practice 3 to get ready for qualifying," he said to Autosport.
Jack Doohan is having a difficult time since the beginning of the season. He crashed in Australia and finished P13 in China, with zero points to his name. Even Alpine slipped to the bottom of the constructors championship table as neither of the drivers has yet to score a point this year.