Australian driver Jack Doohan suffered a terrifying high-speed crash during the second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Alpine driver was beginning only his fourth lap of the weekend when disaster struck.
Doohan lost control of the rear end of his car as he approached the first turn.
His vehicle spun around dramatically before careering across the gravel trap, with the car then smashing violently into the tyre wall at high speed.
Australian driver Jack Doohan suffered a terrifying high-speed crash during the second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix
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The incident occurred just seven-and-a-half minutes into the session, immediately bringing out red flags.
Other drivers were forced to return to the pits as officials assessed the significant damage.
The impact caused extensive damage to Doohan's Alpine, knocking one of his wheels completely off the car.
Despite the severity of the crash, Doohan quickly confirmed to his team that he was unharmed.
However, television cameras captured the Australian walking gingerly away from the wreckage.
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Full footage of Jack Doohan's huge crash in FP2!#F1 #JapaneseGP #Formula1 #f1jppic.twitter.com/r7Kn2Zw4Lu
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He was accompanied by the medical team as a precautionary measure.
The session was immediately halted to allow marshals to clear the debris and repair the damaged barriers.
Safety crews worked efficiently to remove the stricken Alpine and assess the condition of the tyre wall.
The incident represented a significant setback for both Doohan and the Alpine team's preparations for Sunday's race.
Sky Sports expert Anthony Davidson offered his analysis of the incident, suggesting Doohan was not at fault.
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'I think the car might have just bottomed out,' Davidson explained on the broadcast.
He noted that F1 cars are typically capable of taking that corner flat out on approach.
'It doesn't look like driver error. If it wasn't having his DRS open, the car just bottomed out heavily,' Davidson continued.
'It looked to me like he was just a passenger there.'
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The technical explanation provided some context for viewers witnessing the dramatic incident.
The crash came during Doohan's first experience driving at the Suzuka circuit.
He had sat out the first practice session as Alpine opted to give Japanese driver Ryo Hirakawa valuable experience in the car.
The session eventually resumed 25 minutes after Doohan's crash following barrier repairs.
Jack Doohan confirmed he was unharmed after his crash during Japanese Grand Prix practice
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However, the disruptions continued almost immediately when Fernando Alonso beached his Aston Martin at turn eight.
Remarkably, a third red flag was required when a trackside fire broke out.
The dry grass, combined with sparks from the F1 cars, created hazardous conditions in the sunny and windy weather.
Stewards quickly contained the fire before it could spread significantly, with racing resuming.