Formula 2 driver Jack Doohan is set to make his F1 debut for Alpine driving in Friday’s FP1 session at the Mexico Grand Prix.
The nineteen-year-old Australian Formula 2 driver will be replacing Esteban Ocon for the first practice session of the Mexico Grand Prix. Jack Doohan is the son of multiple MotoGP champion Mick Doohan. He is currently fourth in the F2 championship driving for Virtuosi Racing.
Who is Jack Doohan?
With racing in his blood, Doohan made his single-seator debut at the age of fifteen in the British F4 Championship. After finishing fifth in the championship he joined the Formula 3 Asian Championship in 2019.
In 2020, he made his F3 debut racing for two seasons, finishing second in the 2021 campaign. That off-season Doohan left the Red Bull Junior Team after four years to join the Alpine Academy. He labeled the move as a ‘no-brainer’ as he believed that Alpine could give him more opportunities going forward.
FIA F3 Vice World Champion 2021
7 Podiums
4 Wins (3 feature race & 1 sprint race)
2 pole positions
Best qualifier of the season
Most points scored in the feature races – 120 points.Just want to say a huge thank you to everyone that supported me for this 2021 season. pic.twitter.com/RwLWVvKUga
— Jack Doohan (@jackdoohan33) September 28, 2021
2022 onwards
In 2022 he made his full-season debut in Formula 2. It has been a breakthrough year for Doohan, picking up three wins, three poles, and six podiums so far. He currently sits fourth in the Championship with one round remaining. Doohan’s performance and the switch seem to have paid off. Not only will he be making his Formula 1 debut this weekend, but he has also earned a second FP1 outing at the Abu-Dhabi Grand Prix on November 18th.
When asked about his debut, Doohan stated:
“I’m extremely grateful to Alpine for giving me this opportunity to drive in Free Practice in Mexico. It’s always a huge honour to be entrusted to drive a Formula 1 car, so to have the opportunity on a Grand Prix weekend is very special.”
“Ultimately, the aim is to be doing this every week and this experience is another step closer to achieving that goal. I’ve prepared as best as I can, and I think it’s going to be very exciting to experience the car at this type of circuit with the high altitude and very high top speed.”
Otmar Szafnauer (Alpine Team Principal) added:
“We are very pleased to announce Jack will join the team in Mexico and take over driving duties for Free Practice 1. We have all been impressed with Jack’s progression across many areas this season and he’s deserving of this chance as we continue to nurture his high potential.”
