Jack Doohan crashes heavily during chaotic Japanese GP practice session

In Japan, on April 4, 2025, the chaotic second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix took place at Suzuka, where Oscar Piastri of McLaren topped the timesheets. The session was marred by four interruptions, one of which was due to a significant crash involving Jack Doohan. The 22-year-old driver lost control of his car at the high-speed first corner, slamming into the barriers and causing extensive damage to his Alpine, with two wheels coming off upon impact. Fortunately, Doohan was reported to be unhurt after a precautionary medical check. This incident initiated one of the red flags that disrupted the practice. Just minutes after the session resumed, Fernando Alonso also faced difficulties, spinning off and getting stranded in the gravel at Turn 8, which brought out the second red flag. The combination of windy conditions and the increasing pressure among drivers to complete qualifying simulations led to an environment of chaos on track. The situation was further exacerbated by a grass fire that ignited due to sparks from the cars, causing the track officials to wave the red flag for a third time. With only 20 minutes of running time available due to these interruptions, teams were scrambling to finalize setups before the upcoming qualifying session. Notably, Piastri's performance stood out as he recorded a fastest lap of 1 minute 28.114 seconds, edging out his team-mate Lando Norris by a mere half-tenth. McLaren's dominance was apparent as they claimed the top two spots once again, following Norris's success in the first practice earlier in the day. Other notable performances included Isack Hadjar in third place and Lewis Hamilton in fourth for Ferrari, while George Russell noted a drop to sixth after a promising start in first practice. The drivers struggled to get clean laps due to the chaotic conditions, resulting in mixed feelings among the teams about their pace. As the session concluded with another red flag caused by a fire on the grass, both Piastri and Norris highlighted the day's up-and-down nature, indicating they had areas to improve for the final practice and qualifying. Meanwhile, the presence of grass fires and crashes offered a stark reminder of the hazards inherent in Formula 1 and the need for constant vigilance in maintaining safety standards at high-speed circuits like Suzuka.