Jack Doohan will return to competition with Nielsen Racing when he makes his sportscar and European Le Mans Series (ELMS) debut at the 2026 4 Hours of Barcelona.
The 23-year-old Australian will share the #24 Oreca 07-Gibson with Ed Pearson and Roy Nissany in the championship’s highly competitive LMP2 category. The opening round will mark almost 12 months since Doohan last raced and will begin a new phase of his career alongside his role as TGR Haas F1 Team reserve driver.
Doohan brings extensive single-seater experience to Nielsen’s programme. After winning the 2016 Australian Kart Championship, he finished runner-up in the 2021 FIA Formula 3 Championship and placed third in the 2023 FIA Formula 2 standings. He subsequently reached Formula 1 and contested six Grands Prix for BWT Alpine during the 2025 season.
Doohan welcomes return to competition
Doohan will need to adapt quickly after spending almost a year away from competitive racing. However, he has approached his return with enthusiasm and believes Nielsen can help him overcome the substantial learning curve.
While the Australian already understands high-downforce machinery and the demands of elite-level competition, endurance racing will introduce different procedures, strategies and responsibilities. Nevertheless, the opportunity gives him valuable seat time while broadening his experience beyond single-seaters.
“I’m very excited to be back racing it’s almost going to be 12 months since my last race. Amazing to do it with Nielsen Racing and to make this transition into sports cars. There’s a lot to learn and it’s extremely important to get some seat time, but we will get acclimatised quickly having a great team around me to do so and I can’t wait to get started.”
Consequently, the Barcelona weekend will focus as much on adaptation as outright performance. Doohan must learn how Nielsen operates during a race event, understand the championship’s procedures and develop a consistent rhythm during longer stints.
However, his Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 experience should support that process. He has already worked within highly technical environments and dealt with the pressure that accompanies international competition.
Nissany and Pearson create balanced #24 line-up
Nielsen has combined three drivers with different levels of experience for its #24 entry.
Doohan previously raced against Nissany in Formula 2 and already understands the Israeli driver’s approach. Moreover, Nissany contested the ELMS in an Oreca 07 during the previous season, giving the crew an important source of LMP2 knowledge.
Pearson, meanwhile, enters his first ELMS campaign after spending three years in single-seaters. The 19-year-old raced for Nielsen in the 2025 Euroformula Open Championship, finishing fifth overall and claiming victories at Portimão and Barcelona.
“I think we have a great variety in the lineup, but also maturity. I raced Roy in Formula 2, he is very wise, has many years of experience and also has a year in this car last season. Ed young rookie, hungry, so I think it’s a great mixture. We will be working hard to get an awesome synergy between us all to ensure we can extract the most the weekends.”
Therefore, Nissany can provide an experienced reference while Doohan and Pearson adjust to endurance competition. At the same time, the two newcomers bring ambition and extensive recent experience of high-downforce single-seaters.
Nevertheless, the trio must create a productive working relationship quickly. All three drivers will need to agree on set-up directions, communicate effectively with Nielsen’s engineers and adapt their individual preferences to one shared car.
Oreca 07 demands a different approach
Doohan has completed limited running in the Oreca 07 ahead of his ELMS debut. Even so, his early experience has already highlighted several differences between an enclosed-cockpit prototype and the single-seaters that shaped his career.
The roof and restricted sightlines immediately changed his view from the cockpit. Furthermore, the shared-car format requires him to consider the needs of his teammates and the broader race strategy rather than focusing solely on his own performance.
“I have done very little driving in the car thus far, but the feeling has been strong and quite a lot different than single seater. Obviously the first thing was a roof over my head and some obstructions in view but nevertheless it’s a nice variation in the driving style, obviously multiple stints meaning more than one driver and a bigger picture taken to play for. All in all, it will help and be a massive experience gain for wherever my career goes past here.”
In addition, Doohan must learn how the Oreca behaves through traffic. The LMP2 drivers will regularly encounter slower LMP3 and LMGT3 cars, which will require patience, judgement and decisive overtaking.
Tyre management, fuel targets and longer runs will also influence his approach. While his single-seater background encourages him to extract maximum performance over shorter periods, endurance racing rewards drivers who combine speed with consistency and risk management.
Barcelona carries strong Doohan family history
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya provides a familiar setting for Doohan’s first ELMS appearance.
His father, five-time world champion Mick Doohan, won the Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix in both 1997 and 1998 on his way to the 500cc title in each season. Jack Doohan has also achieved success at the Spanish circuit during his own career.
The younger Australian secured a Formula 2 pole position at Barcelona and reached the podium there in both Formula 3 and Formula 2. Therefore, he will return with considerable circuit knowledge despite entering a new category.
“It’s always been a favourable circuit for myself, and I enjoy it very much. It has a nice combination of high speed, low speed and medium speed corners. The chicane at the last corners, which used to be very difficult, is now a very high-speed section and also very exciting. I am looking forward to racing here in a different category, with more cars on track and different speeds.”
The circuit’s varied layout should give Doohan an effective introduction to the Oreca. Its mixture of corner speeds will test the car’s balance, while the high-speed final sector will showcase the prototype’s aerodynamic performance.
However, Barcelona also places considerable stress on the tyres. As a result, Doohan must balance his natural pace with the need to maintain performance throughout his stint.
ELMS calendar reunites Doohan with favoured circuits
Beyond Barcelona, the six-round ELMS calendar includes several tracks that Doohan already knows from his single-seater career.
Spa-Francorchamps holds particular appeal for the Australian. Its elevation changes, high-speed sections and unpredictable conditions have made it one of his favourite circuits.
Meanwhile, Portimão will host the season finale. Doohan has completed less running at the Portuguese venue, but its steep changes in elevation and flowing layout should provide another significant challenge.
I think it’s quite a great calendar. Spa has always been one of my favourite circuits so for sure will be very much looking forward to getting back there. There’s also Portimao, a circuit that I’ve done very little on before but seems quite cool, quite a roller coaster so ending this season there will be exciting.
His familiarity with most of the calendar should allow him to concentrate on learning the Oreca and the demands of endurance racing. Nevertheless, each circuit will present new challenges when he encounters it in multi-class competition.
Additionally, the championship’s variety will help Doohan develop a broader understanding of sportscar racing. Fast venues such as Spa and Silverstone will reward commitment, while more technical circuits will place greater emphasis on traffic management and set-up compromises.
Racing remains central to Doohan’s life
Doohan continues to focus heavily on motorsport away from race weekends. When he lives in Monaco, he spends time using the simulator, training and cycling as he maintains his preparation for both ELMS and Formula 1 duties.
However, returning to Australia gives him an opportunity to step away from the intensity of professional racing. There, he enjoys surfing, spending time on the water and reconnecting with friends and family.
“Outside of racing, I think about racing. However, if I am back in Australia, the country I was born in, I would be enjoying surfing, being out on the water, hanging with friends and family.
“If I am on the side of the world at home in Monaco, I’m on a simulator, training out on the bike or spending some time in the sun.”
That approach reflects the commitment that helped Doohan progress rapidly through the junior single-seater categories and reach Formula 1. He will now apply the same focus to his endurance racing transition.
Doohan targets successful start to new chapter
The 4 Hours of Barcelona will give Doohan his first opportunity to measure himself against an accomplished LMP2 field.
His previous results at the circuit provide encouragement, while his experience at the highest levels of single-seater racing gives Nielsen another fast and technically capable driver. However, the Australian must still adjust to sharing a car, navigating traffic and contributing to a four-hour race strategy.
Nissany’s experience and Pearson’s ambition should create a complementary crew, although the trio must establish its chemistry quickly. Moreover, Nielsen must help both Doohan and Pearson manage their first competitive weekend in LMP2.
After almost 12 months away from racing, Doohan will begin the season with both short-term and long-term objectives. He wants to deliver strong results for Nielsen, gain valuable experience and demonstrate that his abilities can transfer successfully from single-seaters into endurance racing.
