Jack Doohan is among the several talents to graduate from the F2 category. The Australian signed up with Alpine Academy in 2022 after leaving the Red Bull junior program. Now, his decision might bear fruit as the French team has a vacancy for the 2025 season.
Doohan is extremely confident about his chances of becoming a future Alpine driver. The 21-year-old told RacingNews365, “I just want to make sure that I can get in a seat regardless next year. I want to be in there with Alpine. The position that I’m in and what I’ve done, I feel like I should be in with a good chance at a seat next year.”
When the interviewer asked if he was up for the task starting in 2025, Doohan maintained his confident stance. “Yes, exactly. I’ll have all my mileage ready. I’ll be for sure on the window,” he added.
*Correction to our earlier tweet
Australian Jack Doohan has signed a contract with Alpine to partner Pierre Gasly for the 2025 #F1 season, Pit Debrief has learned.
An official announcement is expected to arrive after the enforced 2-week factory shutdown period ends. pic.twitter.com/7p69VdSUWL
— Pit Debrief (@PitDebrief) August 2, 2024
He’s been waiting for his chance since 2022 after signing on as a reserve driver. Doohan held the role while also racing in F2 in 2022 and 2023. However, the Aussie did not participate in any other racing series in 2024 to solely focus on his duties as the reserve driver for the Enstone-based outfit.
Now, with Esteban Ocon moving to Haas, Doohan has a golden opportunity to replace him and secure his F1 seat. Despite showcasing such loyalty to the team, Doohan still can’t be too sure about his chances. Even though the Australian is committed and has the talent he will face competition for the Alpine seat.
Doohan’s competitors for the Alpine seat
The 21-year-old will be the only rookie apart from compatriot Oliver Bearman to make the grid if he does get the nod. However, it’s never easy to secure a seat in F1 no matter how well-placed a driver is. Because of the limited options and Alpine’s high ambitions, the French team could aim to hire an experienced driver instead of trusting a rookie.
In that regard, they have Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen, and Mick Schumacher as options. All aforementioned drivers are tried and tested by other teams. Schumacher will be Doohan’s biggest rival for the seat as the German is already part of Alpine’s WEC team.
However, Doohan carries an impressive record too. In the past five years, he finished second in F3 and secured third spot in the 2023 F2 championship. In his 2023 season, he won three feature races and secured two more podiums. The young Australian deserves his chance, but whether he will get it is a different story altogether.
