Jack Doohan reveals Alpine decided his F1 fate before his home race

Jack Doohan has revealed that Alpine's decision to drop him from its Formula 1 team was made even before he contested his home Grand Prix in Melbourne last year, a situation he describes as "brutal." The Australian driver says the early, predetermined nature of the decision, contrasted with public portrayals, made the experience particularly difficult to process as he raced under intense scrutiny.

Why it matters:

Doohan's candid account sheds light on the often opaque and ruthless decision-making processes within F1 teams, especially concerning young drivers. His experience underscores the harsh reality that contractual security can be illusory when external pressures or politics come into play, offering a stark lesson in the business side of the sport beyond pure on-track performance.

The details:

• Doohan started seven races for Alpine, beginning with the 2024 Abu Dhabi finale and continuing for the first six rounds of 2025 before being replaced by Franco Colapinto after Miami.
• He states the decision on his future was "made before I was even jumping into the car for the first time — before Melbourne," making the subsequent races a challenging exercise in managing a known outcome.
• The "brutal" aspect, according to Doohan, stemmed from a disconnect between the internal reality and the external narrative. He felt the situation was "portrayed in a way that isn't like that," creating a "twisted and a bit dark" experience.
• He believed his contract, which he thought had "no loopholes" and committed him for "quite an extensive time," provided solid security, making the eventual outcome even harder to accept.
• Despite the adversity, Doohan says he learned valuable lessons in handling pressure and working through difficult moments when "fate is already decided."

What's next:

Doohan has since rebuilt his F1 career bridge, securing a reserve driver role with Haas for the 2026 season alongside race drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman. He admits the experience may affect how he approaches trust in future team relationships but hopes it has prepared him for the worst off-track pressures the sport can offer. Looking back, he remains philosophical, acknowledging the support from most of the paddock and fans and suggesting that this difficult chapter could one day be viewed as "the best thing that could have happened" to enable new opportunities.