Being the son of motorcycle Grand Prix racing champion Mick Doohan, F1 rookie Jack Doohan always had the racing DNA running in his veins. However, it was the influence of his dad’s friend Michael Schumacher that led Jack into four-wheel racing.
Mick and Michael were so close that the F1 legend went on to name his son after the five-time 500 cc champion. The two racers often hung out together, leaving a lasting impact on each other’s young ones.
During one such rendezvous, Schumacher gifted a 3-year-old Jack his first kart. Jack began his racing journey with that kart and is today awaiting the start of his rookie season in F1.
Jack was reminded of the endearing story by host Laura Winter during a recent ‘2025 Rookie Roundtable’. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who learned about Jack’s connection with Michael Schumacher for the first time, exclaimed, “What?!… What do you mean?!”
Michael Schumacher and baby Jack Doohan pic.twitter.com/1MKFpquJQ3
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It wasn’t just Antonelli who was in disbelief. Fellow rookies Isack Hadjar and Ollie Bearman couldn’t believe what they heard either. “That’s incredible!” said Bearman, as Doohan named F1 drivers he was a fan of.
“My first kart from my first days karting as a three-year-old was from Michael. So, [I’m] definitely [a fan of] Michael,” told Doohan.
Naming other drivers who influenced him growing up, he recalled, “I was also a fan of [Sebastian] Vettel. I was a huge Red Bull fan as a kid. I was a Red Bull athlete as a karter while he was in those amazing times. So, I looked up to him tremendously. I was a fan of Nico [Rosberg] through the battle with Lewis [Hamilton]. I named my dog after Nico Rosberg as well.”
Doohan admitted he was a fan of Hamilton as well. However, it was Rosberg’s underdog status that made him root for the 2016 F1 world champion against the Briton.
Jack Doohan’s dad predicted Michael Schumacher’s comeback from retirement
After a glorious career decorated with record seven world titles, Schumacher called it quits at the end of the 2006 F1 season. The Kaiser may have hung up his racing boots but the hunger for adrenaline never went away.
As a result, he initially took up motorcycle racing as a hobby. With the help of Jack’s dad Mick, Schumacher honed his skills on two wheels. Things came to an abrupt halt as the F1 veteran met with an accident, sustaining serious injuries.
“I think that was when he sort of changed his mind. I actually said to my wife, ‘I reckon he’s missing sport’,” Doohan recalled on Formula For Success podcast.
Within months, Schumacher announced his comeback from retirement in 2010. This time, he chose the newly formed side Mercedes to drive for. While he couldn’t win a championship with the Silver Arrows, Schumacher set the ground running for the German outfit.
