Australian Jack Doohan (21 years old) will drive the second single-seater in 2025 Alpine alongside Frenchman Pierre Gasly, the Formula 1 team announced on Friday on the sidelines of the Dutch Grand Prix. The son of Mick Doohan, five-time 500cc motorcycle world champion, who was reserve driver for the Franco-British team this year, will therefore discover Formula 1 and replace Frenchman Esteban Ocon, who has signed with Haas.
“Jack will join Pierre Gasly as part of the team’s duo next season and will become the first Alpine Academy prospect to secure a seat with the team. Pierre and Jack offer the team a balance of youth and experience in a line-up geared towards building a successful future,” Alpine wrote in its press release.
After failing to convince the experienced Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who eventually signed with Williams after losing his place at Ferrari to Briton Lewis Hamilton, Alpine has therefore fallen back on a promising young driver who knows the team very well.
Jack Doohan says he is “very grateful”
Third in the Formula 3 World Championship in 2021, Doohan then moved to Formula 2 where he finished sixth in 2022 and third in 2023. He has taken six wins, five podiums and five pole positions in two seasons in the F1 antechamber. “I am very grateful for the trust placed in me by the team management. There is so much work to do to be ready and I will do my best to absorb as much information and knowledge as possible to be ready when the time comes to take the step,” the Australian said in the statement.
“I personally worked with Jack in 2019 and am fully aware of his raw talent and potential. He is a hard worker behind the scenes and his commitment is hugely appreciated by the whole team. With him and Pierre we have a well-balanced line-up, mixing youthful energy, experience and pure speed,” said Oliver Oakes, the new team principal.
Doohan was also preferred to Mick Schumacher, son of Michael, a F1 legend with seven world titles. The German had joined Alpine this season to drive one of the two Hypercars entered in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
