Jack Doohan Reflects on Challenging Alpine Exit and New Haas Role

Jack Doohan has described his final months with Alpine as "tricky" but believes the difficult experience has built a stronger foundation for his ultimate goal of returning to a full-time Formula 1 seat. The Australian driver, now a reserve for Haas, is actively seeking a racing program for 2025 while committing his full effort to his new F1 role.

Why it matters:

Doohan's candid reflection highlights the intense pressure and political challenges young drivers face in securing and keeping an F1 seat. His journey from a six-race promotion to being replaced and released underscores the precarious nature of driver careers, especially at teams undergoing internal turmoil. His resilience and focus on learning from adversity serve as a blueprint for other prospects navigating the cutthroat F1 landscape.

The details:

• Doohan's F1 debut came in late 2024, replacing Esteban Ocon for Alpine in Abu Dhabi. He started 2025 as a full-time driver alongside Pierre Gasly.
• His tenure lasted only six Grands Prix before he was demoted back to reserve driver to make way for Flavio Briatore-signing Franco Colapinto, and was subsequently released by Alpine at year's end.
• He acknowledged the team environment became difficult, stating, "Environment and atmosphere were tricky nonetheless, and what followed was also not ideal."
• Despite the setback, he values the experience: "We lived it out, and learned an extreme amount. We have a bigger foundation to grow off."
• He received support from his father, motorcycle legend Mick Doohan, though he noted his father "hadn't been through that exact situation."
• A post-Alpine tryout in Japan's Super Formula series did not work out, marked by crashes on consecutive test days.

What's next:

Doohan is determined to return to regular competition while fulfilling his duties at Haas.

• He has secured a vital lifeline as the 2025 reserve driver for Haas, a role that sees him potentially deputizing for Esteban Ocon once again, as well as Oliver Bearman.
• He confirmed testing an LMP2 car with Algarve Pro Racing and is evaluating a 2025 program in the European Le Mans Series, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a target.
• His primary focus remains a return to F1: "I definitely know that racing is 100 per cent the priority... I'll take all the things I've learned - the hard way - through that time and put it into practice."