Has Doohan Suzuka mistake sealed his F1 fate?

Jack Doohan made a costly error in the opening minutes of the second free practice session at Suzuka – and it could become even more expensive.

Having missed FP1 due to Alpine reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa taking part in the first hour of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, the 22-year-old was already on the back foot.

Heading into the first corner on his second push lap, Doohan suddenly spun, hurtling towards the barriers on the outside of Turn 1.

The massive impact destroyed his Alpine, bringing out the first of four red flags that session and leaving the driver himself shaken and questioning what happened.

The team confirmed he was not concussed after the crash, but his worries did not end there.

It was later revealed the cause of the crash was the Australian failing to manually close DRS on his car, as is required at the start of the lap at Suzuka on account of the braking zone beginning after the initial turn in.

Already under considerable pressure to perform, with Franco Colapinto waiting in the wings, the huge collision will further heap scrutiny upon Doohan.

After a first lap mistake at the Australian Grand Prix and a difficult – and oftentimes scrappy – weekend in Shanghai, he is running out of opportunities to impress.

It begs the question, is Doohan already a dead man walking at Alpine?

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