2025 Japanese Grand Prix: Free Practice 2 results – Jack Doohan Smashes Into the Barriers, Oscar Piastri Tops Red Card-Riddled Session

China Grand Prix winner Oscar Piastri topped the Red Flag-riddled Free Practice 2 at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, setting a lap time of 1:28.144. 

Lando Norris, who claimed the top spot in 2025 Japanese Grand Prix Free Practice 1, finished second — only 0.049 seconds behind his McLaren teammate. Racing Bulls (VCARB) newcomer Isack Hadjar completed the top three with a lap time of 1:28.518.

The one-hour FP2 session saw a whopping four red flags. Below, we will break them all down and give you the complete timesheet. Let’s go!

2025 Japanese GP FP2 Red Flag 1: Jack Doohan Brings Out the Red Flag in First 10 Minutes

After Ryo Hirakawa took the wheels in Free Practice 1, Alpine’s Jack Doohan reclaimed his car for Free Practice 2. The Australian put on a new set of Hard tires and put them in the right temperature window before beginning his push lap.

Doohan activated the DRS (Drag Reduction System) down the main straight and built up speed, pushing hard to attack Turn 1. Just before entering the right-hander, Doohan lost control and smashed into the barriers. It was a massive crash, but Doohan, fortunately, came out unscathed.

A sizeable crash for Jack Doohan in FP2 😱

He is OK and out of the car#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/uCDCUcGKcy

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 4, 2025

How Did Jack Doohan Crash in Japanese Grand Prix Free Practice 2?

Turn 1 is not particularly accident-prone, so Jack Doohan’s crash came as a big surprise. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the rookie’s negligence caused the massive crash at Suzuka.

Doohan opened the rear wing down the track’s only DRS zone. However, he did not close it manually before entering Turn 1. With the rear wing open, the car understandably did not generate enough downforce and grip and misiled into the barriers.

2025 Japanese GP FP2 Red Flag 2: Fernando Alonso Goes Off at Turn 8

The oldest Formula 1 driver on the grid, two-time Drivers’ World Champion Fernando Alonso, brought out the Red Flag shortly after the session resumed. Uncharacteristically, the Spaniard touched the grass before entering the Degner Curves, which caused him to spin out and end up on the gravel trap.

The second red flag of the session is deployed 🔴

Fernando Alonso is beached in the gravel at the Degner Curves 😲#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/IaOsAkPun9

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 4, 2025

His Aston Martin did not sustain much damage, but it significantly impacted the running time in Free Practice 2.

2025 Japanese GP FP2 Red Flags 3 & 4: Grass on Fire

Drivers expected smooth sailing after Fernando Alonso’s beached Aston Martin was recovered. However, it did not turn out to be the case, as patches of grass in two separate areas of the track mysteriously caught fire.

THE GRASS IS ON FIRE (yes, again) pic.twitter.com/7gmDBSKkVn

— Holiness (@F1BigData) April 4, 2025

As a result, most of the drivers could not enjoy representative runnings, making Sunday’s Grand Prix all the more unpredictable.

2025 Japanese Grand Prix Free Practice 2: Total Lap Times

Here is how the table looked after FP2 concluded at Suzuka:

Position	Driver	Team	Lap Time
1	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:28.114
2	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:28.163
3	Isack Hadjar	VCARB	1:28.518
4	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:28.544
5	Liam Lawson	VCARB	1:28.559
6	George Russell	Mercedes	1:28.567
7	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:28.586
8	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:28.670
9	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:28.757
10	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:28.832
11	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:29.023
12	Nico Hülkenberg	Sauber	1:29.062
13	Gabriel Bortoleto	Sauber	1:29.335
14	Esteban Ocon	Haas	1:29.507
15	Oliver Bearman	Haas	1:29.654
16	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:29.733
17	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:29.978
18	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull	1:30.625
19	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:30.845
20	Jack Doohan	Alpine	1:31.659

Formula 1 action resumes in Japan GP with Practice 3 on Saturday, 5 April.