This F1 season, we welcome five promising rookies to the grid. In the ‘Meet the F1 Rookies’ section, we introduce these young debutants who have been brought to the pinnacle of motorsport with high expectations. This time, we turn our attention to Jack Doohan, the 22-year-old driver who is already at risk of losing his Formula 1 seat before the start of the season.
It took a few years, but finally, the time has come for Jack Doohan: the Australian driver will be a full-time Formula 1 driver for the first time in 2025. Alpine announced on August 23, 2024, that the reserve driver would replace the departing Esteban Ocon. A dream come true for the young driver, although dark clouds are already gathering. Franco Colapinto, who made a splash with his debut at Williams, could pose a threat to Doohan’s Formula 1 dream.
Who is Jack Doohan?
Jack Doohan was born on January 20, 2003, in the Australian Gold Coast. The driver is thus one of the six rookies this year who were not yet born when Fernando Alonso made his F1 debut in 2001. Racing blood flowed through Doohan’s veins from the start, as he is the son of motorcycle racer and five-time MotoGP world champion Mick Doohan. The younger Doohan began his motorsport career in 2013 when he made his karting debut at the age of ten.
Doohan’s time in karting was certainly not without success, as he became the Australian champion in the KA Junior class in 2015. A year later, he won the national championship in the KA2 class. Like other Australian drivers, including McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, there wasn’t much left for Doohan to achieve in his home country after these titles. Therefore, the young driver moved to Europe and transitioned to formula racing.
Move to Europe
Doohan made his British Formula 4 debut for the TRS Arden Junior Racing team in 2018. The Australian also immediately became part of Red Bull’s training program. Doohan finished fifth in the F4 championship, but was allowed to move up to Formula 3 in 2019. There, the driver fared slightly better, finishing second in the Asian Formula 3 championship. Doohan then switched to the FIA Formula 3 championship, with his best year being 2021 when he again finished second with four victories to his name.
In 2022, Doohan started in the Formula 2 championship and made the switch from the Red Bull junior team to the Alpine Academy. The Australian would stay in Formula 2 for two years, and in 2023 he finished third in the standings, behind champion Théo Pourchaire and second place Frederik Vesti.
Alpine’s Debut
2022 was a significant year in Doohan’s motorsport career, as the Australian not only became a Formula 2 driver but also joined the Alpine Academy. He was given the opportunity to drive his first free practice in F1 for the French team during the 2022 Mexico Grand Prix. In 2023, Doohan became a reserve driver and was expected to remain in this position until the end of 2024. However, in August, it was announced that Doohan would replace Ocon in 2025.
Threat from Colapinto?
The question arises as to how long the Australian will be allowed to drive for Alpine. At the beginning of January, the French team added Franco Colapinto as a reserve driver to their team, sparking rumors that the Argentine could soon replace Doohan. Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore reportedly prefers Colapinto over Doohan to partner with Pierre Gasly. It is even rumored that Doohan’s contract contains an exit clause that can be activated after the Miami Grand Prix. For now, the Australian remains unfazed: “No matter the pressure, I look forward to enjoying and embracing it.”
