Rookie driver Jack Doohan experienced a terrifying 186 mph crash during the second free practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Australian driver lost control of his Alpine A525 on his fourth lap around the Suzuka Circuit, slamming into the barriers at nearly 186 mph on the challenging Japanese track. Now the surprising reasons behind this dramatic accident have come to light.
Doohan hadn’t participated in Free Practice 1 for the Japanese GP, as Alpine had decided to give his seat to Japanese driver Ryo Hirakawa. This was a rather unexpected choice, given that Doohan is a rookie who needs as many miles as possible to get closer to the pace of his teammate, Pierre Gasly.
A rookie under pressure
It’s fair to say Jack was under immense pressure. Not only did he need to make up for lost time with extra effort in the second practice session, but Hirakawa had finished twelfth, ahead of Gasly – not bad at all for a driver who doesn’t compete in F1 regularly. And rumors about Doohan possibly being replaced have been widely circulating.
But it wasn’t the pressure that caused Jack Doohan’s accident in Japan. Instead, it was a rookie mistake that the Alpine team’s engineers neither detected nor managed to correct before the 22-year-old driver ended up against the wall at Suzuka.
The DRS error that led to disaster
After the crash at Turn 1 of the Suzuka Circuit, Oliver Oakes, Alpine’s team principal, revealed that the impact was due to a “miscalculation” by the driver with the DRS system, the movable rear wing that Formula 1 cars use to gain speed during fast laps or for overtaking.
Doohan had left the DRS open at the entry to turn one, a decision he made unconsciously because he had done it during his first flying lap (the crash happened on his second) and because that’s how he had done it during his sessions on the team’s simulator. Why did it work out in his first lap? Because he hadn’t taken the corner as aggressively.
We should remember that the DRS system can only be used in areas approved by the FIA; during practice or qualifying, it can be activated or deactivated freely in the designated section; in a race, only when a car is less than a second behind the one ahead. Taking a corner with the wing open is highly unlikely, as it reduces rear aerodynamic downforce.
Ya salió la noticia de que la culpa del accidente de Doohan fue “por un error de cálculo al no cerrar el DRS en la curva 1” pic.twitter.com/6qXtmaABJ5
— Tino (@TinoCLeclerc) April 4, 2025
From simulator to reality: a costly translation error
The fact that Doohan had been training on the team’s simulator at this circuit without manually closing the DRS meant he didn’t do it on his real lap either. That it worked in the simulator – where drivers complete hundreds of laps before a race – and not in reality also speaks to the improvements needed in this key tool for driver preparation.
Alpine’s engineers didn’t detect the practice Doohan was performing in time (neither in the simulator nor on the track), which indicates an error and lack of communication within the team. On top of that, for this race, the Australian had switched race engineers – his previous one had moved to work with Gasly – and these were the first laps of their working relationship.
The aftermath: a wrecked car and significant costs
The Alpine A525 was completely destroyed by the impact, but thankfully the driver was unharmed and has been able to continue competing throughout the Japanese GP weekend. The mechanics of the French team worked all night to prepare the car and return to the track for Free Practice 3. Doohan qualified in nineteenth position (second to last), eight places behind his teammate.
The repair costs for Doohan’s Alpine A525 would amount to more than $1.1 million, negatively affecting both the team’s finances and the budget cap that the grid teams must comply with, which stands at around $135 million. Any excess spending will be paid for with penalties.
Learning from mistakes
This incident highlights how even the smallest details in Formula 1 can lead to major consequences. For a rookie driver like Doohan, every lap is a learning experience, but this particular lesson came at a very high price for Alpine.
The disconnect between simulator practice and real-world application raises questions about how teams prepare their drivers, especially rookies, for the unique challenges of each circuit. (I’ve always wondered how accurate these simulators really are when it comes to the feeling of downforce and grip – clearly there’s still a gap.)
Want to know more about how F1 teams deal with crashes and their impact on the season? Stay tuned for our upcoming analysis of how budget caps are reshaping accident management strategies in modern Formula 1.
