Alpine Driver Jack Doohan’s High-Speed Crash During the Japanese Grand Prix Weekend

In a shocking turn of events during the second practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, Alpine driver Jack Doohan found himself in a collision with the wall at Turn 1. The Australian racer was traveling at approximately 160 mph on his fourth lap when the incident occurred. At this point, it remains unclear what triggered the crash, as it didn’t appear to be a result of driver error. However, the strong tailwind into that corner and the possibility of the car bottoming out at the entry are being considered as potential causes.

Doohan Confirms His Well-being After the Crash

Despite the high-speed impact, Doohan swiftly confirmed his safety and managed to exit the vehicle unassisted. This unfortunate incident could not have come at a worse time for Doohan, as he had stepped out of the first practice session to accommodate Toyota WEC driver Ryo Hirakawa’s rookie testing obligations for each team. With only the third and final practice session tomorrow, Doohan will now have limited time to familiarize himself with the car and a track he lacks experience on before qualifying.

Former F1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Anthony Davidson shared his insights during the broadcast, suggesting that the car might have bottomed out at the corner entry. He explained that these cars are capable of taking that corner flat out on approach, and it didn’t seem like a driver error. If the DRS wasn’t open, the car bottomed so heavily, he added.

McLaren driver Carlos Sainz had earlier expressed concerns about the rear of his car feeling unusual at Spoon Curve, and Turn 1 is significantly faster than Spoon. It appeared to Sainz that Doohan was merely a passenger in the incident. He further noted that Doohan seemed to be moving cautiously after the crash, suggesting that he might have been shaken up.