A Future Alpine F1 Driver? Jack Doohan to run FP1 in Mexico City

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 30: Race winner Jack Doohan of Australia and Virtuosi Racing (3) celebrates on the podium during the Round 10:Budapest Sprint race of the Formula 2 Championship at Hungaroring on July 30, 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli - Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images)

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.

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.”

Both Zhou and Piastri will be racing alongside one another during the 2023 Formula 1 season. Piastri will be racing for McLaren while Zhou will be racing for Alfa Romeo. With Alpine having already filled their 2023 lineup (Ocon & Gasly), can an F2 Championship in 2023 give him the chance to drive for Alpine in F1 in the future?

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