A frightening F1 rookie error in Japan. In addition, the solid debut of Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull

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Welcome back to Prime Tire, where we have a lot of Formula 1 to be covered: a large beginner error, a practice of the Japanese Grand Prix and a threatening portal. They are Patrick and Luke Smith will be shortly. Let’s immerse ourselves.

Anatomy of an accident

How (and why) Jack Doohan broke his car in Suzuka

We had just started FP2 from Suzuka last night when Jack Doohan He had a frightening accident.

Doohan, the 22 -year -old Alpine debutant, built the speed for his first push round. He launched his resistance reduction system (DRS) to build speed. It reduced the main straight, approaching the turning point 1 to over 200 mph. AND …

First of all, the important part: Alpine and Doohan confirmed after the session that is fine.

But what happened? People … did not push his doctors before entering the corner. Don’t you think me?

🧐 Computer, improves! 🧐

So here’s the agreement: DRS works Opening a flap on the rear wing that reduces the resistance and gives drivers a greater speed of the straight line. It is fantastic to overtake the straight.

But in fast corners, you need an aerodynamic force (the magical thing that pushes the car into the ground so that you can actually turn). When you open the DRS, sacrifice a huge piece of your rear force for greater speed.

This means:

• The rear tires suddenly have much less handle than the front tires.
• The car becomes unbalanced, with the front part that still tries to turn but the rear part unable to follow.
• The rear tires are more likely to break the traction and slide it.

(Take a look at our DRS Esplager here.

When Doohan entered the turning point 1 at high speed with the open drsa flap, it made the back of the car really enthusiastic to become the front of the machine. Bam. In the wall. We do not triumph words: this is a frightening and frightening accident at super high speed. This is because the F1 cars automatically close the drsi flap when drivers brake or release the activation button. But the driver did these things.

So what does this tell us? I don’t think Doohan has forgotten to close the doctors. Doohan was pushing – In the simulator, he could have learned that he could bring some more speed than the doctor to the corner. In real life, he judged badly. (He never raced an F1 car in Suzuka before.)

While it is natural that any F1 driver pushes his car to the limits in a given lap, Doohan is under additional pressure. We have already written to us on:

• Alpine signed the former phenomenon of Williams Franco Colapinto as his fourth (!) Reserve driver.
• Doohan He crashed on the first lap of the Australian GP.
• The sanctions left him at the 20th in the sprint of the Chinese GP. (Him bounced back at 13th in the GP, though.)
• Alpine gave Doohan’s car to reserve the driver Ryō Hirakawa for FP1 in Japan. (The hirakawa house race, therefore not indicative of much, but still.) Hirakawa finished the twelfth faster.

As we have learned in the last 10 days with Liam Lawson and Red Bull, Windows to test himself can close quickly in F1. In an attempt to make the most of his yesterday, Doohan instead made an expensive mistake.

Practice notes

McLaren (and grass) is on fire

Some takeaways from FP1 and FP2 …

McLaren It looks terribly fast around the Figure-eight track, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri Trading Places at the top of the activities. Papaia’s cars are absolutely rapid right now. Charles Leclerc It has become the last To say that McLaren is “on another planet” compared to all the others.

FP2 was basically a casino of red flags and short real driving explosions:

• Doohan. Yes.
• Fernando Alonso visited the gravel after putting the wheels on the grass
• Two separated grass fires – yes, really – have highlighted more red flags.
• All in all, the drivers lost about 40 minutes of running. It is more than half of the session.

Oh, you wanted to see the fire.

The grass is on fire (yes, again) pic.twitter.com/7GMDBSKKVN

– Holiness (@F1bigata) April 4, 2025

I told you there was a portal.

Mercedes also hides dangerously close to the front, with George Russell particularly fast. (Luke wrote Because it needs a new contract – More information on this in a second.) Do not sleep on them for the qualifications – McLaren’s party could absolutely ruin if the wind changes direction (which is expected to do).

Max Verstappen and Red Bull still have things to order – He said “Many things are not clicking”. On a track where you need complete trust in your car to attack those vast esse, this is a problem.

In the meantime, there is the entire drama of Toro from Tsunoda to red that takes place. For more information on this, here is Luke.

Inside the paddock with Luke Smith

The solid beginning of Tsunoda with Red Bull

All the eyes were obviously on Yuki Tsunoda for his girl on the track as Red Bull driver on Friday in Suzuka. And so far, he has done a good job. I wrote about his First days to the team this week.

The mandate of the boss of the Red Bull Team Christian Horner in Tsunoda was to get as close as possible to Max Verstappen. In FP1, Tsunoda has listed only one tenth of a second out of Verstappen, getting closer to Liam Lawon at any time of the weekends of two opening competition.

I spent most of FP1 tuned to Tsunoda’s radio and the chatter back and forth with his race engineer were fascinating. Comments on the configuration and balance of the car were exchanged when Tsunoda was not around hot. Tsunoda said at a certain point, he did not want to change anything about the car because he wanted to maintain the point of reference he had, but he was quite specific in terms of changes of balance, in particular in the back of the car.

Because Tsunoda is at the rhythm immediately compared to Verstappen is an encouraging sign for Red Bull. But the way he managed the place – in practice, to own it – is perhaps an even better sign than the fit it will be. We only know for sure that it will come tomorrow how close it is, but so far, everything is fine.

As for Liam …

Lawson gives his side of the story

Lawson I spoke with the media this week Speaking of Red Bull that makes him fall into racing bulls after two races. It was fascinating to look at his body language in the press conference. Madeline Coleman he wrote:

💬 He asked if the decoction was in his best interest or if he had damaged his trust, Lawson’s response reflected a safe attitude of himself as he continued to navigate in the difficult topic. On the contrary, his answers to other questions were mixed with “Uh” and “Uhm”.

He did a good job by sifting through his assessments (and Red Bull) of the situation this week. And he asked the important question: can Lawson return to Red Bull? Read all here.

Champagne returned to the podium in 2025 (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images)

Out of the points

The long history of F1 with Champagne

Have you ever wondered why the drivers of the F1 spray Champagne after preparing the podium? Luke has entered the traditionwhich has returned this year. That’s right: in the last four years, drivers were spraying sparkling wine!

George Russell is out of the contract after this season, but so far he has started exceptionally. Luke’s cunning observation this week that, until it signs, fans will wonder if the “Verstappen to Mercedes” The connections will refrain.

No live blogs from us, as the race will be at one at night on Sunday. But you should still Add our trace of the track to bookmarks!

Finally, if you were wondering why Red Bull is in white this weekend, Here is the background.

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(Photo above: Clive Mason/Getty Images) G