Jack Doohan’s “silly” DRS crash in Japan “may have cost him his F1 career”

Johnny Herbert has slammed Jack Doohan for his “embarrassing” crash during the Japanese Grand Prix.

Doohan crashed out during the early part of second practice at Suzuka.

It transpired after the session that Doohan had kept his DRS open into the first corner.

Doohan had been doing this throughout his runs on Alpine’s simulator and decided to try it during his first lap on track.

It proved costly, as keeping the DRS open unsettled the car's aero balance and resulted in the crash as Doohan tried to turn into the corner.

Doohan is under pressure to keep his seat, and Herbert feels it could be the final straw.

“It was very embarrassing when we found out that Jack Doohan hadn’t pushed the DRS button,” Herbert told SambaSlots.

“That should be an automatic thing for a driver to do. The way the DRS works is that when it is activated, if you break, it automatically closes.

“If you go into a fast corner like he did into turn one, it’s not flat out, but you don’t brake, you must manually close it.  He didn’t push the button and that is a ridiculously silly error by someone who should know that if he doesn’t brake, he has got to close it because if he doesn’t he is going to end up in the barrier because he’s got no rear end grip open.

“It’s an embarrassing crash because it makes you look silly. It does not help him with his situation with all the rumours with Franco Colapinto and Flavio Briatore.  It’s just a crazy silly decision that may have cost him his F1 career.”

Colpainto waiting for his F1 chance

Doohan has been in a precarious position since Alpine’s decision to sign Franco Colapinto as their test and reserve driver.

Colapinto has tested for Alpine on multiple occasions, with team advisor Flavio Briatore keen to give the Argentine an opportunity in F1.

Herbert admitted that he would be “surprised” if Doohan could turn things around and save his F1 career.

“I’d be surprised if he digs himself out of the hole that he’s dug for himself. He’s on his last legs, so to speak,” Herbert added. “For any driver confidence is a massively important part of your ability to get the best out of the car.

“At the moment he has none because everything’s gone so pear-shaped at the moment for him.

“Can Doohan turn it around? It is only down to him. There is no one else on this earth who can help him, except himself, and he can’t make those types of error.

“They’re not acceptable really from a driver who should be aware of what.

I know it, and I’ve never done DRS. If you have DRS enabled and you go into a massively fast corner, there’s no way in heaven on earth that you’re going to get around it.”