F1Briefings

Jack Doohan's FP2 Crash Remains a Mystery Amid New DRS Data

Nelson Espinal

Jun 7, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; BWT Alpine driver Jack Doohan (AUS) in the pit lane during the practice session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Jun 7, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; BWT Alpine driver Jack Doohan (AUS) in the pit lane during the practice session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Alpine driver Jack Doohan experienced one of the biggest crashes of the 2025 season thus far, as his car mysteriously lost control at turn 1 and crashed straight into the wall during Free Practice 2 at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The car was absolutely wrecked, seemingly appearing as if it was cut in half.

During the broadcast, the commentators noted that the car seemed to "bottom out" on Doohan and asserted that it was not a driver error.

After the race, Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes stated it was a "misjudgment" since he didn't deactivate DRS while approaching the corner.

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“We are all relieved to see Jack walk away from his incident in Free Practice 2 and glad to see he is okay after his precautionary checks,” Oakes said.

“It was a misjudgement of not closing the DRS into Turn 1. It is something to learn from.”

There have been additional reports claiming that Doohan was able to take the corner without turning off DRS and wanted to do so on track.

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There are three ways to turn off DRS: pressing the brake, lifting off the accelerator, or pushing a button on the steering wheel.

One of the possible explanations is that the DRS was simply not responding as it should, as telemetry data from his previous lap shows he did tap the brakes entering Turn 1 to try and turn off DRS. However, the DRS did not turn off.

This explanation suggests that a faulty sensor failed to close the DRS when Doohan applied the brake.

The alternative theory is that Doohan may have committed a "misjudgment." Since the DRS deactivates when the driver lifts off the accelerator, he believed that merely tapping the brake would suffice.

Data from other drivers indicates that Leclerc's Ferrari closes its DRS upon applying the brake, whereas Gasly's Alpine only closes the DRS when the driver lifts off the throttle.

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Doohan reflected on the crash and accepted responsibility for the crash.

“First of all, I am okay after the incident. It was a heavy one, something that caught me by surprise, and I will learn from it," he said.

While the cause of the crash remains unclear, what is certain is that Alpine faces a hefty repair bill and upcoming work for FP3 and qualifying. The optics of the crash likely add pressure to Doohan, who has Franco Colapinto breathing down his neck.

For more F1 news, head over to F1 on SI.

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Nelson Espinal
NELSON ESPINAL

Nelson Espinal lives and breathes sports. Avidly following of everything ranging from motorsports to Mixed Martial Arts to tennis, he is connected with most of the sports world at all times. His dream of writing about sports started at 16 years of age, writing for a Lakers fans blog, and his passions for sports writing has grown since. He has his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a minor in writing literature from the University of California, San Diego.

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