Jack Doohan expresses himself on a complicated start to his F1 career with Alpine after the Saudi Arabian GP. Australian driver Jack Doohan officially stepped into his first full Formula 1 season with Alpine in 2025, following a brief debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he filled in for Esteban Ocon. However, his rookie campaign got off to a rocky start, marked by a disappointing DNF at his home Grand Prix in Melbourne.
While there have been signs of incremental progress, Doohan has yet to secure his first championship point for Alpine and stands 19th in the driver championship after the Saudi Arabian GP. The slow start has intensified speculation about the stability of his position within the team, with growing scrutiny over whether he can deliver consistent results.
Ignoring speculation, focusing on performance
Despite mounting pressure, Doohan remains focused on his development with Alpine and blocks out the noise surrounding his future following the Saudi Arabian GP.
“I’ve tried not to obviously be thinking about that. We know internally what my contract, my situation is, and the rest, I knew it was always going to be fluctuating for sure, […]” Doohan explained, dismissing gossip on his uncertain future.
Instead, the young Australian is directing his energy toward making the most of the A525 and refining his driving.
“[…] all I can focus on is what me and the team are here to set out to do, and that’s for me to get up to speed as quickly as possible.”
His weekend in Bahrain offered a glimmer of hope. Though still outside the points, the performance suggested there is underlying pace in the car that could be unlocked in the races to come.
“It’s been good that we’ve shown some good moments over the past four rounds, and that the raw pace is there, and there’s a lot of strong things to take forward.
“And now it’s just about putting all those things together, and I’m sure we’ll be able to achieve great things.”
Simulated preparation for a demanding schedule
In preparation for the grueling triple-header that included Suzuka, Jeddah, and Bahrain, Doohan relied heavily on Alpine’s simulator program—a key tool for a rookie adapting to F1’s demands.
“We did obviously all our three days of sim work before coming out of this tripleheader of Suzuka.
“We usually typically start, I think we started in Bahrain, did Jeddah, and then finished in Suzuka. So typical amounts.”
Transitioning from Formula 2 to F1 is no small leap. While Doohan is familiar with most of the circuits, the performance gap between the two series—especially in terms of downforce and speed—is significant. Reflecting on the challenges faced at the Saudi Arabian GP, Alpine’s Doohan described the delicate margins and increased precision required at the top level.
“I think somewhere like Bahrain, you have more low-speed corners, and you don’t obviously feel as much the downforce or the elements that an F1 car has to provide.
“But here you get somewhere where you have a lot more downforce. You’re really experiencing what a Formula 1 car has to offer. And around this Jeddah Corniche circuit, it’s all about timing, especially through that first sector, and about millimetres.”
“Every corner seems to fall back on itself, left into a right or right into a left. And it’s super crucial that we time that well, while also going a lot quicker than we were in F2.”
As the season progresses, Doohan’s focus remains fixed on building momentum, finding consistency, and proving he belongs at the top level. While the scrutiny is high, so is the potential—now it’s a question of execution.
