Japanese GP: Jack Doohan crash causes one of four red flags as Oscar Piastri tops wild Practice Two at Suzuka
Oscar Piastri edges McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to top Practice Two; Jack Doohan crash and Fernando Alonso spin cause red flags, before grass fire interruptions; watch final practice on Saturday from 3.30am before qualifying at 7am, live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event
Friday 4 April 2025 15:34, UK
Oscar Piastri topped a chaotic Japanese Grand Prix second practice session during which a huge Jack Doohan crash caused one of four red flags.
Piastri edged team-mate and Drivers' Championship leader Lando Norris by half a tenth of a second as McLaren continued their early-season dominance, but four interruptions allowed cars to be on track for just 20 of the scheduled 60 minutes.
Doohan, who hadn't driven first practice earlier on Friday as Alpine opted to run reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa at his home race instead of the Australian rookie, lost control of his car at the high-speed first corner and shunted into the barrier, losing two wheels in the process.
- When and how to watch the Japanese GP live on Sky Sports
- F1 2025 schedule | F1 championship standings
- Got Sky? Watch F1 races LIVE on your phone! 📱
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺
- Choose the sports notifications you want! 🔔
It initially looked like Doohan's car simply bottomed out but replays showed the DRS on his car was still open, when drivers are generally meant to close it by themselves since they do not brake into Turn 1.
The 22-year-old, who Alpine said was "ok" following a visit to the track's medical centre, was helped from the car and there was a delay of about 20 minutes as the barriers were repaired.
Just seven minutes after the session resumed, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso highlighted the difficulty of the windy conditions with an uncharacteristic error that left his Aston Martin beached in the gravel after a spin at Turn 8.
With the rest of the field frantically attempting to get qualifying simulations done, the session was then red-flagged again due to grass at the side of the track catching fire from sparks flying from the floors of cars.
There was another brief flurry of action, which saw Piastri edge out Norris in a battle that looks set to run for the rest of the weekend, before the grass caught fire once more in the closing stages to trigger a fourth red flag and end the session.
As had been the case when Norris topped first practice earlier on Friday, no other team appeared to have the pace to compete with McLaren over one lap.
Isack Hadjar took an eye-catching third as Racing Bulls showed promising pace, with Liam Lawson fifth on his return to the team following his remarkable demotion from Red Bull after just two races as Max Verstappen's team-mate.
Verstappen could only manage eighth, with the promoted Yuki Tsunoda, who produced a solid showing on his Red Bull debut earlier on Friday, 18th as both struggled to deliver a clean lap in the frantic situation.
Lewis Hamilton split the Racing Bulls in fourth for Ferrari, with team-mate Charles Leclerc seventh as the Italian team attempt to overcome setup issues that have caused a disappointing start to the season.
George Russell, who looked the most likely candidate to challenge the McLarens when he took second in first practice, was sixth for Mercedes.
Sky Sports F1's live Japanese GP schedule
Saturday April 5
- 3.15am: Japanese GP Practice Three (session starts at 3.30am)*
- 6am: Japanese GP Qualifying build-up*
- 7am: Japanese GP Qualifying*
- 9am: Ted's Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday April 6
- 4.30am: Japanese GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
- 6am: THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX*
- 8am: Japanese GP reaction: Chequered Flag*
- 9am: Ted's Notebook*
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula is at the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - No contract, cancel anytime
