Jack Doohan remains tight-lipped as DRS strategy questions continue

The Australian driver missed out on Q2 after a difficult start to his race weekend.

After a difficult week so far for Alpine driver Jack Doohan, the Australian has placed himself under further pressure when he crashed out of FP2 after what looked like an error on his part. After being asked by Sky Sport's Craig Slater about whether taking Turn 1 with DRS open was a strategy discussed with the team, the driver chose not to answer.

"I'm pushing through, so I don't want to use any excuses on anything like that, but that's why we train, let's say and keep our heads in a good place," he said on how he's feeling after yesterday's crash following his Q1 exit.

He triggered a red flag yesterday when he lost control in Turn 1, spinning off the tarmac and slamming into the barriers. His car was heavily damaged, and while he didn't suffer any major injuries, his confidence has obviously been shaken. Alpine later confirmed that the crash stemmed from the driver not closing his DRS ahead of the corner entry.

Suzuka's Turn 1 is unique in the sense it's taken at full throttle. While Doohan maintained throttle input, he did dab the brake according to our telemetry, but this didn't automatically shut the DRS. With Doohan missing out on FP1 due to his car being driven by rookie Ryo Hirakawa, he has missed out on important experience at this track.

Jack Doohan, Alpine crash

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

When asked about his qualifying pace, Doohan remained measured:

"I think maybe Q2 could have been on the cards. I know I had to continue to make big steps on every lap. To be honest, I made a mistake in the exit of the spoon curve which if I didn't do it, I probably would have made Q2.

"So I can't really be too mad or upset about that. It's just unfortunately the circumstances we're in."

When questioned directly about the DRS issue that caused his crash, he was reluctant to answer.

"About attempting to do that [keep DRS open], to be honest, I would prefer not to touch on that and just sort of put that in the past and look forward to tomorrow, no disrespect."

Doohan will start the Japanese Grand Prix from 19th on the grid.