Jack Doohan did not have an easy start at Alpine, but points out that even experienced stars like Carlos Sainz or Lewis Hamilton have experienced the same
The case of Liam Lawson proved it: The pressure on the young guard in Formula 1 is enormous. The New Zealander was replaced at Red Bull after just two unsuccessful races. Since his first kilometers of racing, Alpine rookie Jack Doohan has also felt the sword of Damocles hanging over him, as Flavio Briatore has already lined up a potential successor with the signing of Franco Colapinto.
You certainly don’t get any time to settle in Formula 1 these days, so Doohan, for whom the weekend’s appearance in Japan will only be his fourth Grand Prix start, is under no illusions. It’s logical that there is still a lot for him to learn. But as far as the 22-year-old is concerned, this fate applies not only to him and the other newcomers in the field, but actually to every driver who has changed teams over the winter:
“I think that’s a very good point,” explains the Australian, citing Carlos Sainz as an example: ”You can see it, for example, from the fact that Carlos is three or three and a half tenths down on Alex [Albon] in qualifying. Of course he needs time to get to know the car,” says Doohan, ‘but if I, as a rookie, were only one and a half tenths slower than Pierre, there would probably be headlines everywhere that I should be replaced.’
Whether Hamilton or Sainz: ‘It just takes time’
The Alpine driver cites further examples: “Or take Lewis – he also needs six months to familiarize himself with a new car.” In view of the media, Doohan is aware that “ultimately, it’s about writing stories.”
However, the truth is the same for all teams: “Drivers like Alex or Pierre know their car inside out, they have been sitting in it for three years. Carlos, on the other hand, is an extremely talented and highly regarded race driver. But he too has certain preferences for how he wants the car – and if that’s not immediately possible, it just takes time.” This ‘familiarization phase’ is completely normal, especially since every kilometer really counts, as the newcomer is currently discovering for himself.
In any case, he felt “much more pressure and was much more nervous” at his debut in the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi than he is now with his growing routine. After all, every race weekend gives you additional self-confidence: “Absolutely. It definitely helped me,” says Doohan, looking back on his recent experiences.
Doohan: ‘Everyone in the team was very happy’
In terms of his chances of staying with the team in the long term, the rookie therefore sees his chances as absolutely intact: ”The most important thing is the team’s opinion anyway. The engineers and everyone on the team were very satisfied – especially after the race in China. The penalty was unfortunate, of course, but the guys were very happy with my defensive driving, the overall race pace and also with the results.”
Alone: ”Now it’s simply a matter for Pierre and me to get a complete weekend together and score points, that’s the most important thing at the moment. But yes, I definitely feel better than I did during the test drives or in Australia – and this feeling is growing from race to race,” Doohan reiterates his plea to give the drivers a little more time to settle in during this early phase of the season.
