Jack Doohan, driver for Alpine, experienced a high-speed crash during Friday practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, leading to multiple red-flag stoppages. Although the Australian was uninjured, early assessments suggested the crash was caused by the DRS overtaking aid remaining open as he approached the 160mph first corner. Alpine has not confirmed the cause, stating that they are still evaluating the incident.
The session was marked by four stoppages, with two caused by fires along the track, likely ignited by sparks from the cars and dry grass. McLaren's Oscar Piastri ultimately ended the session with the fastest time, ahead of teammate Lando Norris.
Other incidents included Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso spinning off into the gravel at Degner One and the grass catching fire between Dunlop and Degner One, which led to more interruptions.
The stoppages made it difficult to gauge the true pace of the teams, but McLaren appeared to be in strong form. Drivers faced additional challenges from strong north-westerly winds, which affected the car's stability, especially in the first sector.
Norris acknowledged the tricky conditions but remained confident in his team's position, while other drivers like Isack Hadjar and Lewis Hamilton continued to show impressive performances.
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