Why Jack Doohan’s ‘shock to the system’ changed F1 outlook

Jack Doohan’s demotion at Alpine from race driver to reserve was a shock to his system, but also a reset in his thinking as Formula 1 is no longer his “be-all and end-all”.

That, though, doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be back on the grid, either with his new team Haas or another F1 team, as that would be “amazing”.

Jack Doohan opens up on Alpine demotion and F1 future

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Third in the 2023 Formula 2 championship, Doohan spent the 2024 season on the sidelines as an Alpine reserve driver.

He was announced in August that year as an Alpine F1 driver for the F1 2025 championship, but almost from the get-go there were whispers that his seat wasn’t as secure as his contract implied.

Doohan ignored the speculation and prepared for his debut F1 campaign, and was even given a one-off outing at the final race of the 2024 season when he replaced the Haas-bound Esteban Ocon in Abu Dhabi.

The Australian brought the car home in 15th place on a weekend in which he didn’t set the stage alight, but he also didn’t crash.

Doohan took his place in the class of 2025 photographs at the Australian Grand Prix, suited and booted for what he thought would be his first full season in the sport. Alas, after six race weekends, his time on the grid was cut short.

Alpine de facto leader Flavio Briatore made the call to replace Doohan with Franco Colapinto, with the Argentine in a five-race audition for the seat. But while Colapinto didn’t score a single point, Briatore kept faith with him.

“It was obviously strange times,” Doohan told Fox Sports’ Pit Talk podcast. “It was a weird 12 months of achieving that dream, having a three-year contract — you’re never secure.

“You’re still an employee at the end of the day, even as a race driver. You’re still under contract.

“But I thought I was in a strong position, even with the noise that was going around and the press.

“I was head down and trying to do my job, although it does affect you in some ways, especially as it goes on.

“I was quite content, and then it was quite a shock to the system.”

And throughout Colapinto’s audition, Doohan says he was given hope by Alpine that he could be back in the car.

The media reported deadlines of five races, the summer break, potentially the final races of the season, but it never happened.

Doohan said the realisation that it wouldn’t come true came to him after the summer break.

“It was a little bit of a difficult path, but there was in some ways, without going in too deep into it, always a bit of a carrot,” Doohan said.

“I was presented with opportunities of new possibilities in increments, so it never felt like it [a comeback] was so far away — at least that’s how it was at the start.

“It was more around Zandvoort time, so the end of the summer break, August, when I realised I wasn’t going to be hopping back in the car for that season and really had to see where the next steps were going to take me.”

He went on to join Haas as its reserve driver for the F1 2026 season, but racing is his goal.

“It’s quite important in the job title, certainly — being a racing driver and then actually racing!” he said with a laugh.

“Otherwise you’re just simply a reserve driver. You can’t classify yourself as a racing driver if you’re not racing.”

F1 is no longer Jack Doohan’s ‘be-all and end-all’

The Aussie is now racing for Nielsen Racing in the European Le Mans Series, dovetailing that programme with his Haas F1 commitments.

Although Doohan wants to return to the Formula 1 grid, that’s not everything for the 23-year-old who finished 32nd overall at the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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“It’s certainly a little bit different,” he said. “It’s hard to explain, but I’m not, let’s say trying to force anything.

“Obviously it’s a slightly different position to what I have been before, where it was obviously pre [having] race experience and you’re in that junior driver category and you’re really preaching and trying to get that opportunity.

“There are opportunities that will come into my control that, in order to be in my control, are a little bit outside my control, if that makes sense.

“I’m just focusing exactly on what’s in my control, which is doing my best when I’m trackside, opportunities inside the car when they come, and apart from that, I’m not really over-analysing the outside noise that covers so much of what we do.

“If I managed to get back into a car, that would be amazing, but I know there are a lot more things than normal that are playing as a factor.

“I’m not locking too down. I think there is a good opportunity, but I’m not in the same place [as last year] where it’s the be-all and end-all.”

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