Final summer time, Jack Doohan realized a dream.
The younger Australian driver had secured a full-time spot on the System 1 grid, incomes a promotion at Alpine to drive alongside Pierre Gasly throughout the 2025 season. Later within the 12 months Doohan realized one other dream, as he made his F1 debut on the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix rather than Esteban Ocon.
Nevertheless, hypothesis about job safety follows many F1 drivers, and people questions quickly started circling round Doohan’s spot at Alpine. Not solely has the staff continued so as to add younger drivers to their steady of reserves — together with F2 driver Kush Maini earlier this week — however a type of drivers was additionally combating for a spot on the grid for 2025: Williams super-sub Franco Colapinto.
Colapinto earned a mid-season promotion at Williams final 12 months, changing Logan Sargeant. All of the younger driver did throughout his stint on the grid was rating factors in two races, together with in simply his second race, and make his personal case for a spot on the grid.
Whereas Colapinto in the end missed out on a full-time seat for 2025, his transfer to Alpine as a reserve instantly led many to marvel if Doohan’s time in F1 can be short-lived.
Talking Thursday forward of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix — his dwelling race — Doohan dismissed “rumors” and outlined the place his focus is heading into the season.
“I haven’t been excited about any of that as a result of as you all know, there’s no level excited about rumors] or commenting on them. However you already know, I’ve a contract for a minimum of this 12 months, if no more. So, I sit up for many dwelling Grands Prix,” started Doohan.
Doohan then outlined that Colapinto will not be the one driver aiming for a spot on the grid, whether or not the one the Australian driver at present occupies or another person’s.
In any case, that’s a part of life in F1.
“And the uncertainties? You don’t trouble worrying about them. I feel I’ve to carry out every time I’m within the automotive. I’ve one man chasing my seat, however we even have 4 now, if you happen to didn’t notice, we’ve got 4 reserves, you’ve all 4 of them, not simply Franco, in all probability needs my seat and if not, Pierre’s as properly,” defined Doohan. “And I needed their seats whereas I used to be reserve driver the final two years. So you already know I’m going to get pleasure from, to be sincere, each race as if it’s my final, as a result of I wish to get pleasure from every second I’m within the automotive. However. Yeah, to be sincere, not rather more so as to add on that.”
That enjoyment is the place Doohan’s focus can be this season.
“To get pleasure from,” stated Doohan when requested what his aim is for his rookie marketing campaign. “Take pleasure in every time I’m on observe, as a result of primary, that’s why I’m right here, as a result of I get pleasure from what I do. And to work laborious with the staff, be sure that we extracted all the pieces we may from Bahrain pre-season testing and put that into play for this weekend after which ship on observe, regardless of the automotive’s potential.”
The potential at Alpine this season is without doubt one of the fascinating F1 storylines, given how the staff rebounded from a tough begin in 2024 to stand up the standings, in the end ending sixth. May Alpine have the shock bundle in 2025?
We’ll know extra this weekend.
