It hasn’t been a Japanese GP weekend to remember for Jack Doohan so far. Earlier today during FP2, the Alpine driver suffered a horrific crash that heavily damaged his car, leaving the crew with plenty of work to do.
At first glance, it appeared to be a simple case of a driver losing control of his car on track, but there could be far deeper underlying causes behind the incident. Doohan’s impact left the paddock concerned for his health.
He confirmed he was ‘ok’ on the team radio, but footage showed him grabbing his back—and keeping his right arm away from personnel—and gingerly walking towards the medical car. Thankfully, the medical team in Japan cleared him of any injuries, meaning he can take part in the rest of the sessions this weekend.
A sizeable crash for Jack Doohan in FP2
He is OK and out of the car#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/uCDCUcGKcy
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 4, 2025
On the other hand, the pressure on him — which Jacques Villeneuve felt led to this accident in the first place — will only increase. Doohan has been scrutinized even before the season began.
Once hailed as Alpine’s best junior talent, his place came under threat when advisor Flavio Briatore brought the talented Franco Colapinto in as a reserve driver.
“The problem is that before the first race he (Doohan) knew he probably wouldn’t finish this season,” the 1997 World Champion said after FP2. “He has been put under enormous pressure by Flavio Briatore, with Colapinto in the wings.”
The main straight at Suzuka, which is also a DRS zone, is immediately followed by a fast right-hander. However, Doohan’s DRS wasn’t closed when he turned in, suggesting that either it failed or he didn’t hit the brakes.
Predictably—since turning a car at 300 km/h (186 mph) is incredibly difficult with the rear flap open—he lost grip and went into the barriers. Normally, incidents like these are rare but not unheard of in F1.
However, considering this was Doohan’s second crash of the season (the first coming in Australia last month), Briatore will only be more inclined to let him go. Villeneuve isn’t the only F1 expert to highlight the looming threat of Colapinto replacing Doohan.
Here’s the video of Doohan’s crash.
It looks like the DRS system of his Alpine failed at the end of the straight.
In case the driver isn’t declared fit, Hirakawa will be the best option to replace him as Colapinto and Aron aren’t in Japan.#JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/sPxLke73XN
— Formula World (@FormulaWorldPro) April 4, 2025
Even before the first race got underway, reports suggested that Doohan had signed just a six-race contract with the Enstone-based outfit. If he failed to impress during that period, the seat would go to the Argentine driver, who is backed by big sponsorship money.
Briatore has already made Doohan feel unwanted at his team. In FP1, academy and reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa took over the A525. And while letting youngsters take over the car in FP1 isn’t uncommon, it’s usually the more experienced drivers who sit it out.
Alpine, however, let Pierre Gasly—part of F1 since 2017—take part in the session as normal, with Doohan forced to watch from the sidelines despite having just four races worth of experience at the top level of motorsport.
Doohan’s exit, in all honesty, looks inevitable given the way things are going. The only way the 22-year-old can change Briatore’s mind is by exceeding expectations in the upcoming races—and avoiding any further crashes.
