The accident caused a significant pause in the running as the car was retrieved and the barriers were repaired.
Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes revealed after the session that Doohan hadn’t closed his DRS going into Turn 1, meaning he entered the high-speed corner without enough downforce.
DRS use is unlimited during practice and qualifying, meaning it’s up to the drivers to open and close it at will.
“It was a misjudgement of not closing the DRS into Turn 1,” Oakes explained. “It is something to learn from.”
The huge damage caused to the A525 has left Alpine facing lengthy repairs to have the car ready for final practice on Saturday morning, but Oakes is confident it will be ready in time.
“His crew will work hard to have the car prepared after the damage,” he added.
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
As a result of the accident, Doohan had to visit the medical centre, where he was cleared to keep driving.
“It was a heavy one, something that caught me by surprise, and I will learn from it,” the Australian said.
“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.”
Jack Doohan’s crashed car during practice for the Japanese GP
Grand Prix Photo
Doohan had also suffered a sizeable accident during the first lap of the season-opening Australian GP.
The rookie finished second practice at the bottom of the times. Team-mate Pierre Gasly was ninth quickest.