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Jack Doohan’s early Formula 1 debut in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would usually be the ideal ‘soft’ introduction to racing at the top level – at least insofar as so intense a challenge could be considered straightforward.
He’s got the Alpine drive for 2025, so the chance for what’s effectively a live practice weekend to build experience heading into the winter should in theory be perfect to get ahead for what will be the most important season of his career.
And that is true to an extent - but shadowy forces lurking in the background mean it’s not quite the free hit it might would be. Alpine’s flirtations with Franco Colapinto have led to the conclusion that Doohan’s place at the team might not be as secure as it appeared when he was confirmed as a 2025 race driver in August.
While it seems unlikely Alpine would go as far axing him before the season, it’s not out of the question.
A strong debut for Doohan, ideally one in which he makes an active contribution to sealing sixth in the constructors’ championship, would strengthen his position. However, an underwhelming one would mean carrying question marks into 2025, where he may well face the risk of being ousted after the early run of races. This makes Abu Dhabi a vital weekend for his career rather than a low-stakes ‘race zero’ of his rookie campaign.
The scenario is not ideal, being dropped in at the end of the year with so much at stake and in machinery Esteban Ocon has complained about since Austin in October. The team disputes Ocon's suggestions - believing the car is, save for the fact team-mate Pierre Gasly had the one available front wing upgrade in Qatar and will carry it into Abu Dhabi, on the money.
Doohan is at least as well-prepared as he can be for this early opportunity. The former Red Bull junior has been on Alpine’s books since the start of 2022 and has been embedded with the team all year as reserve driver.
He has six FP1 outings under his belt – including in the 2024 Alpine in Canada and Britain - and has benefitted from an extensive test programme in a ’22 car this year. He’s also logged endless hours in the simulator and in Monaco was credited for his contribution in that capacity to the team turning a difficult Friday into a points finish for Pierre Gasly.
Doohan will also be well aware of the stakes. He will doubtless approach the weekend in the same way he has his third-driver role this year, with professionalism and determination to do the best possible job.
He has been at pains to be the best possible team player this year, consciously avoiding the entitlement that sometimes makes young drivers in his position unpopular with their employers. This, on top of his performance, played a big part in him getting the nod despite the availability of experienced alternatives such as Valtteri Bottas and Mick Schumacher.
The Australian is also a quick driver, something he proved by comprehensively outpacing Alpine Racing stablemate Schumacher when they tested together ahead of the final decision for 2025.
Although Doohan’s CV lacks a single-seater championship, he’s won multiple races at F4, F3 and F2 level. In his final F2 season for Virtuosi in 2023, he finished third in the championship but a cracked chassis that afflicted him for five events cost him a shot at the title.
Doohan is not regarded as a superstar-in-the-making, a la Ollie Bearman or Kimi Antonelli, but he’s not to be underestimated. The work ethic, strong mentality and the foundation he’s built at the Alpine F1 team means he has every chance of making this opportunity work for him.
While circumstances are unusual with the looming threat of Colapinto, who is already a proven points-scorer in F1 and has the allure of significant backing, Doohan must make the most of the chance he has. Even if Alpine is thought to have cooled on Colapinto, the fact it was actively interested in the first place tells you a lot.
Incumbency is a powerful weapon in F1 and if Doohan can produce an impressive weekend in Abu Dhabi, he will consolidate his position. If goes badly, then the pressure will be more intense than ever going into what he hopes will be his first full season.
That’s the nature of the beast in F1, so all Doohan can do is focus his efforts on his debut weekend and use it to shore up his position. After all, you rarely get the chance to ‘play your way in gently’ at the top level.
