Jack Doohan continues to race in F1 under extreme pressure and the looming threat of being replaced at Alpine.
The Australian driver was under intense scrutiny even before the season commenced with his home grand prix in Melbourne and things have not relented for him since.
Despite one of Team Enstone's four reserve drivers - Ryo Hirakawa, who replaced Doohan for FP1 at Suzuka - leaving for Haas, the most potent threat to the 22-year-old remains, in Franco Colapinto.
Once Doohan's Japanese Grand Prix weekend did get underway, his second free practice session lasted a matter of minutes.
Heading into Turn 1 at the start of his second push lap, his DRS remained open. This sent his Alpine into an instant spin, hurtling towards the barriers at reported speeds of 185mph.
Having confirmed he did not suffer a concussion and was otherwise fine (post-grand prix viral footage excluded), Alpine was quick to make it clear the crash was solely driver error.
This move is being interpreted by some as one nail in the coffin for Doohan. As such, a majority of F1 fans now believe the decision to replace him has already been made, despite moving up from P19 to P15 in the race at Suzuka itself.
Just over one-fifth of respondents feel that change will come pre-Bahrain, but with being just two days until media duties on Thursday, that is looking increasingly unlikely.
Interestingly, an equal proportion of those who voted (just under 35 percent in each category) feel the decision has been made, but the team will wait until after rounds five or six and that whilst his fate has not yet been sealed, it will have been by that point.
Full results of the latest poll by RacingNews365 below. Let us know what you think in the comment section.
Has Doohan's Suzuka mistake sealed his F1 fate?
| Answer | Share of vote |
|---|---|
| Yes - Alpine will now replace him after five or six rounds for certain | 34.96% |
| Yes - Alpine will make an immediate change after the Japanese Grand Prix | 21.72% |
| No - but he will need to impress Alpine by the end of round five or six | 34.96% |
| No - Alpine will give him more time than five or six rounds | 8.35% |
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they reflect on the Japanese Grand Prix and look ahead to Bahrain. Max Verstappen's victory is a major talking point, as is McLaren's serious strategical weakness. Jack Doohan's struggles is also discussed.
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