Alpine Reserve Driver Jack Doohan will make his Formula One debut next year with the French team. After it was announced that Esteban Ocon would be leaving Alpine at the end of 2024, Doohan was one of the first in line to get the seat, along with drivers like Mick Schumacher and Carlos Sainz. The Australian will line up alongside Pierre Gasly for the team in 2025. 

(Photo via jackdoohan.com)

Born January 20, 2003 to the legendary motorcycle racing World Champion Mick Doohan, Jack Doohan has been surrounded by racing his whole life. In 2011, he started karting in Australia, winning two championships before switching to European championships. He finished third in the CIK-FIA European Championship in his final year of karting. 

Doohan made the step up to single seaters in 2018 as a Red Bull Junior Team Driver. He raced in three different Formula 4 Championships that year, finishing as the 1st place Rookie in the British F4 Championship. The next year he competed in several different championships, most notably finishing 2nd in the F3 Asian Championship. 

In 2020, Jack Doohan made his Formula 3 debut. It was a tough season that left him pointless by the end of the championship, but he came back stronger the next year. After switching to drive for Trident in 2021, Doohan finished 2nd in the F3 Championship with four wins and an additional seven podiums.

Doohan on the F2 podium after his win in Spa. (Photo via formula1.com)

After participating in a select few F2 races in 2021, Doohan started his first full Formula 2 campaign as an Alpine Academy Driver with Virtuosi Racing. He finished 6th in the championship after a loose wheel forced him to retire from the lead of the final race of the season, a win that could’ve made him 4th in the championship. 

Jack Doohan continued to race in F2 in 2023 while also fulfilling his duties as F1 Reserve Driver for Alpine. While he had a rough start to the season, issues with the car were resolved after some testing, causing a major turn in form. Doohan finished third in the championship after taking back-to-back wins in Budapest and Spa and winning the final race of the season. He also scored five more podiums and took part in F1 Free Practice sessions.

Jack Doohan getting a seat fit at Alpine (Photo via motorsport.com)

At the end of 2023, Jack Doohan left Formula 2 to join Alpine F1 full-time in 2024. He’s been working behind the scenes for the team throughout this season on the simulator in Enstone and at the track. After Esteban Ocon was revealed to be leaving the team at the end of the 2024, Doohan participated in an FP1 session during the F1 weekend. He had been in the discussion to replace Ocon from the beginning, but Carlos Sainz was also a big contender for the seat before the Spaniard announced his move to Williams. 

Jack Doohan is the second confirmed rookie to be joining the F1 grid next season, though he might not be the last. He will make his debut at his home race at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia.