Japanese Grand Prix: Jack Doohan crashes, McLaren's Oscar Piastri takes top spot in second practice session
Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka were disrupted by multiple red flags due to crashes and track fires, with McLaren driver Oscar Piastri clocking the fastest time to emerge at the top. Alpine team's Jack Doohan was involved in a crash which led to a brief stoppage in the practice session.
New Zealand's Liam Lawson, recently demoted to Racing Bulls, outperformed Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda, who had replaced him.
Alpine driver Jack Doohan crashed at the 160mph at the first corner during the second practice session after failing to deactivate his DRS. Team principal Oliver Oakes attributed the incident to «a misjudgement» and a «something to learn from.» The crash caused significant damage to Doohan's car but he escaped without any injuries.
“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,” said the Formula One driver after checking with his team.
The DRS issue arose because Doohan lifted off the throttle but didn’t brake, causing the DRS to remain open. This reduced downforce, leading to the spin and subsequent crash. Doohan was participating in only his fourth F1 race, and his car had been driven by reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa in the first practice session.
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Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin spun off and beached in the gravel during the second practice session which saw a lot of red flags. The practice session also witnessed two stoppages caused by grass fires beside the track, believed to be caused by sparks from the cars igniting dry grass.
The first spot was taken up by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri with Lando Norris coming second. Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar finished third, impressing on his first visit to Suzuka. Lewis