Jack Doohan's struggles at Alpine took a dramatic turn at Suzuka when the rookie Australian suffered a 300kph crash, intensifying the pressure on his precarious race seat.
According to Auto Motor und Sport, Doohan attempted to mimic a simulator tactic by navigating the flat-out first corner with DRS fully open—a move that ended with him slamming into the wall. The incident followed his replacement by reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa in initial practice.
Team principal Oliver Oakes labelled the decision a "misjudgement". Early estimates pegged the damage at $1.5 million, and whispers of a possible hand or arm injury fuelled speculation that Franco Colapinto might take over even sooner than expected.
Despite Colapinto's absence from Japan, the Argentine remains a clear favourite of team advisor Flavio Briatore to partner Pierre Gasly. Addressing the situation, Oakes told Sky Deutschland: "We know there's a bit of unrest around Jack's position, but he's working well. So far it's been ok. He's staying calm and focusing on himself. There are a lot of rumours about Franco, but at the moment we're happy."
Oakes, however, stopped short of offering a firm commitment. "You always have to decide what's best for the team," he added. "Every driver in Formula 1 has to perform. They know that."
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher interpreted Doohan's crash as a sign of mounting desperation. "You can tell that the pressure is on and that he really wants to show that he deserves that cockpit," he said. "He wants to show that he's fast and can make the difference. So he goes straight beyond the limit like that."
Franz Tost, ex-Racing Bulls boss, was equally critical. "You can't go into that corner that fast," he told ORF. "But you don't see any deceleration at all. I'm completely surprised. If it was a driving error, then it was a very serious one, I have to say."
Schumacher predicted an imminent driver switch. "Flavio hopes and believes that Colapinto will do a better job," he noted, "which would, of course, also lead to the team being pushed further forward."
Meanwhile, Colapinto, currently working from the Alpine simulator at Enstone, remained focused on his preparation. "My French isn't perfect," he told Clarin. "I'd love to learn, but right now my priority is staying in top shape so I can get back in a seat."
