Johnny Herbert criticizes Jack Doohan: “Suzuka incident was embarrassing. He looked foolish”. Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert was very direct in his criticism of rookie Jack Doohan.

Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert, who has 160 Grand Prix appearances between 1989 and 2000, was very direct in his criticism of rookie Jack Doohan. Last Friday, during the practice sessions at the Suzuka GP, the Australian lost control of his car, crashing violently into the barriers and destroying the car.

Upon investigating the potential causes that led to the driver’s premature exit from the track, it was revealed that the mistake was entirely Doohan’s, as he had deliberately decided to approach the corner with the DRS open, as he had already tried to do on the simulator.

In an interview with SambaSlots, Johnny Herbert said: “It was very embarrassing when we found out that Jack Doohan hadn’t pressed the DRS button. It should be automatic for a driver. The way DRS works is that when it’s activated and you brake, the wing closes automatically. But if you enter a fast corner like he did, where you’re not at maximum speed but also not braking that much, you need to manually close it. He didn’t do that, and this is a ridiculous mistake from someone who should know that if he doesn’t, he’ll end up in the barriers because he won’t have rear grip.”

Jack Doohan started his debut season in Formula 1 under pressure, as even before stepping onto the track for the opening race in Melbourne, it was said he would have only a few rounds to prove his potential, or he would be replaced by Franco Colapinto. For Johnny Herbert, an incident like the one in Japan will seriously damage Jack Doohan’s image and could really cost him his seat at Alpine: “It was an embarrassing incident because it made him look stupid. It doesn’t help his situation with all the rumors surrounding Franco Colapinto and Flavio Briatore. It was an absurd decision that could cost him his F1 career.”

“I would be surprised if he could get out of the hole he’s dug himself into. For any driver, confidence is a very important part of being able to get the best out of the car. Right now, he doesn’t have it because everything has gone wrong for him.”

When asked if Jack Doohan would be able to turn the situation around, Herbert then replied: “It all depends on him. There’s no one else in the world who can help him, other than himself. He can’t make these kinds of mistakes. They are unacceptable from a driver who should be aware of them. I know I’ve never driven with DRS, but if you activate DRS and go into a very fast corner, there’s no way to complete it.”