F1 divided amid calls for change following Jack Doohan's 300km/h Japanese Grand Prix practice crash

F1 drivers are split over possible changes to the way the drag reduction system (DRS) works in the wake of Jack Doohan's massive Japanese Grand Prix practice crash.

Doohan did not manually close the DRS in his rear wing before turning into the ultra-fast first corner of the Suzuka circuit last Friday.

The aerodynamic imbalance between the front and rear of the car immediately sent Doohan into an uncontrollable spin.

READ MORE: Gould backs 'drastic' move to start UK league 'revolution'

READ MORE: 'Not worth the risk': Lockyer cautions Broncos on Reynolds

READ MORE: 'Don't agree': Under-fire coach receives unlikely support

He left the track at well north of 300km/h before crashing heavily into a tyre wall.

His Alpine was destroyed, and he was forced into a spare chassis for the rest of the weekend.

While the DRS usually closes automatically when drivers apply the brakes, the Suzuka circuit is unique in that the first corner is taken flat-out, or with a gentle lift off the throttle.

Ahead of this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix, Williams star Carlos Sainz revealed he'd had several lucky escapes where he had also forgotten to close the flap, and called for an extra system to be introduced that manually closes the system.

"Safety is still the main priority always with these cars, especially with the speeds we're doing," the Spaniard said.

"Any other era of F1, Jack is not walking today.

"I felt I was quite vocal in saying 'I'm surprised this hasn't happened more often' - because I've had moments where I mispressed the DRS button and it stayed open and it gives you a massive snap and a massive fright going into a corner like turn one (in Suzuka), Shanghai turn one, Australia turn nine.

"We have too many of these corners where it's down to the driver almost to close it, and down to the DRS to do a good job on recovery.

"I'm afraid there haven't been enough of these crashes in order to prove that maybe we need to work on safety in this item."

DRS can only be used in designated DRS 'zones' around the track, and are electronically kept shut elsewhere around the lap.

While drivers in a race can only use the system when travelling less than a second behind the car in front, it is free to be used at any time in practice and qualifying.

A timing loop embedded in the track surface allows the drivers to open the flap. Sainz said a similar system should also be installed at the end of the zone to manually close it.

"But I hope [Doohan's] crash shows that we need to make something that automatically ... before the braking, it shuts, so you don't get the chance for the driver to make a mistake or for DRS to fail, if it doesn't close," he said.

But Mercedes rival George Russell disagreed, and said responsibility for closing the flap should remain with the driver.

"Obviously what happened to Jack was a big shunt and very unfortunate, but I think it's one of those things that you see happen once and everybody will recognise, and this is probably the only corner on the whole calendar that it's a problem," Russell - who's also a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association - said.

"I don't think anything really needs … as drivers, you have responsibilities; we've got to go flat-out down the straight and turn into the corners, and a flick of the button to turn the DRS off is part of the job.

"There's already too many gadgets and systems."

Doohan was physically uninjured in the crash, although he needed to be assisted from his car following Sunday's race.

The F1 season continues with the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.