The F1 fans must thank Alpine for finally clearing the clouds around their recruit. Who would it be: Mick Schumacher or Jack Doohan? This question had been buzzing the paddock and beyond for months now. Ultimately, Flavio Briatore and his team found their hope in the Australian driver- Jack Doohan. The long years of effort and anticipation have finally bore the results, Doohan had been looking for.

This means, Mick Schumacher is out of the F1 picture once again. Sadly, the German driver has missed his shot at Alpine despite being their WEC driver. Moreover, reports suggested that Mick’s test drive results were impressive enough to get him a seat alongside Pierre Gasly. But it looks like his old friend Jack Doohan had the upper hand.  But who is this young 21-year-old who snatched away an F1 seat with ease?

Who is Jack Doohan, Alpine F1 Team’s new driver?

Australian native Jack Doohan will be Alpine’s reserve driver till the end of the 2024 F1 season. After this, he will replace Esteban Ocon and take over the tracks with all his might. Born on January 21, 2003, is the son of the Grand Prix motorcycle road racing world champion Mick Doohan. The Doohan family has been closely associated with the Schumacher family for years. Jack’s father, the legend of the 500cc motorcycle racing, and the Red Baron are long-time friends. It was from the 7x F1 champion that little Doohan received his first kart at the age of three.

He didn’t understand back then, but that gift proved to be pivotal in Jack Doohan’s racing career. However, it took a broken leg for a young Jack to realize his true calling. He was initially set to follow in his father’s footsteps on two wheels. But a dirt bike injury at just 5 years old pushed Jack Doohan away from motorcycles, turning him towards four-wheelers. This was a comparatively safer world for the kid, who eventually found his way into the dynamic world of speeding cars.

So much so that now, Jack Doohan has succeeded in removing the ‘reserve driver’ tag from himself. The Aussie is building up to debut at his home Grand Prix race, that is, at the Australian GP in 2025. With the entry of Doohan alongside Pierre Gasly, the French-owned racing team will be “a balance of youth and experience in its driver line-up geared towards building a successful future.” Given Alpine’s current scenario, maybe, Jack Doohan is the lantern of hope.

Having proved himself in the junior categories of motorsport, Doohan has shown that he is capable of capitalizing the efforts into wins. However, as per Flavio Briatore, his team will have to wait until 2027 to enjoy the thrill of standing on podiums. But, with a new driver in the squad, a fresh perspective has also joined, this could be beneficial in faster and multiple podiums. Now, let’s take a quick look at Jack Doohan’s career.

Jack Doohan’s racing career

Being the son of the legendary Mick Doohan, expectations had always been a piece of baggage for Jack. However, the Australian rising star never gave up. It took Doohan some time to find his true calling, which was to choose between motorbikes and speeding cars. Ultimately, he picked Uncle Michael’s gifted kart and went down on the track. By 2015, Jack Doohan was already a junior Australian karting champion. He succeeded in backing up his title the following year with another title in a higher class.

In 2017, Jack was dipping his toe into European racing. He finished third in the CIK-FIA, European Championship by winning the Swedish Round. In this stage, many F1 drivers who are on the grid currently start getting recognition. Doohan too, found himself at the center of fame despite securing an overall third. Most experts had analyzed that the then-14-year-old would surely do great things in the future. Jack Doohan transitioned into one-seaters in 2018 and finished fourth in the British Formula 4 championships.

And in 2019 and 2020 he was a powerful runner-up in the regional Asian F3 championship. Driving for Hitech Grand Prix, Doohan won 5 races and claimed 3 podiums. He was then promoted to the Euroformula Open Championship with Double R Racing where he claimed 2 podiums and finished eleventh overall. Cut to 2021, Jack Doohan found his dominance in F3, at Trident the Aussie won 4 times, and added 7 podiums to his tally. However, he finished second overall, Doohan’s performance was beyond impressive.

This was enough to push him up the ladder to F2. Although the 2022 season wasn’t particularly impressive, the Aussie found his ground in 2023 and finished third overall with Virtuosi Racing. Jack’s momentous stint in the junior categories has played the role in bringing him to the doorsteps of F1, and look where he is now!

Jack Doohan’s father, a Motorcycle Racing Champion

Just Mick Schumacher who is the son of the F1 legend, Michael Schumacher, Jack Doohan also comes from the lineage of a legend. Doohan Jr.’s dad Mick Doohan is a household name in the world of motorcycle racing. The Gold Coast native Mick whose actual name is Michael Sydney Doohan, debuted for Honda on an NSR 500 cc two-stroke motorcycle in 1989. It took him a year to claim his first win at the Hungarian Grand Prix. However, Mick had to wait for five years since his debut to clinch his first title.

1994 was the year of Mick Doohan. There was no one in his league for the next four seasons. Securing one title after another, Doohan Sr. etched his name in Motorcycle Racing’s Hall of Fame with five 500 cc World Championships registered to his name. In 1997, Mick Doohan had the most successful stint of his career. He won 12 out of 15 races and finished second in another two. Unfortunately, he crashed out of the final race at his home GP, but he had secured enough points to win the title without any competition.

Thanks to all the achievements and accolades, Jack Doohan’s father was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1996. He also received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for his contribution to motorsport. More such titles, honors, and achievements kept adding to Mick Doohan’s name. He was also a close friend of Michael Schumacher and lived as a neighbor in Monaco for years until Mick moved back to Australia.

What awaits Jack Doohan as a rookie F1 driver?

Jack is walking into the F1 paddock with loads of promises. He will be the youngest driver in next year’s grid, given Kimi Antonelli doesn’t debut with Mercedes (most unlikely). Besides, Alpine’s present condition, which is troublesome is bound to affect the 2025 season as well. There is too much chaos and disruption that is affecting their performance in the races. Many key figures have either felt or have been removed ever since Flavio Briatore took the reigns as the executive advisor. However, Jack Doohan will bring a ray of hope with himself next season.

“I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with BWT Alpine F1 Team,” said Doohan. “I am very grateful for the trust and belief of the team’s senior management.” He added: “There is so much work ahead to be prepared and ready and I will give my best in the meantime to absorb as much information and knowledge to be ready for the step up.”  Alpine’s present team principal Oliver Oakes shared that he has worked with Jack Doohan in 2019. He says he is “aware of his raw talent and potential.”

Oakes further complimented the 21-year-old by calling him a hard worker and commitment-oriented individual. Meanwhile, Doohan is replacing Esteban Ocon. He won his first race with Alpine, and now the French driver is ready to move to Haas. Goodbyes aren’t always easy, but Ocon’s one was rather smooth and quick. There are too many hidden stories behind it, and with time all the layers are exposing themselves.

Why did Esteban Ocon leave the Alpine F1 Team?

Esteban Ocon has been associated with Alpine for the last five years. He won his first race with this team and achieved great heights with the same. However, things haven’t been good for the French driver lately. Time and again, we have heard from Ocon’s teammates, be it Fernando Alonso or Pierre Gasly, that Estie Bestie isn’t particularly cooperative and quite ‘selfish’. On many occasions, Ocon has collided with his teammates in a quest to get the upper hand in a race.

Alpine lost its calm when Pierre and Esteban crashed in the first lap of the 2024 Monaco GP; both cars had significant damage. This incident ignited a series of consequential discussions about Ocon’s future with the team. Finally, Alpine decided not to renew their contract with the 27-year-old, marking the end of his five-year stint. But recently, Ocon also revealed that he was looking for other options beyond Alpine. He also accused the team of not listening to him in crucial moments. This remains unverified, and we are no one to judge if this is true or false.

However, it looks like Ocon’s last lap with Alpine hasn’t been great, more tension than ever. And now that Jack Doohan is ready for his official F1 debut, all hopes and promises lie on his shoulder. Can he heal the wounds of Alpine and help to rebuild the team like it used to be once upon a time? This question will be answered only in 2025, so, until then, we’ll have to watch Esteban Ocon alongside Pierre Gasly.