On a steamy Friday at Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, I walked out of Alpine’s hospitality space after spending lunch with reserve driver Jack Doohan. The one thought that was in my mind after that meeting?
Doohan was going to be a full-time driver on the Formula 1 grid sooner rather than later.
Sooner has arrived.
Alpine ended weeks of speculation, confirming this morning ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix that Doohan would be driving alongside Pierre Gasly next season, with the Australian driver signed to a seat with the team on a “multi-year” deal.
The team began teasing the announcement early Friday morning, beginning with this quick video of Gasly sneaking into an office inside Alpine’s hospitality space, and asking an Amazon device who his teammate would be next year. (For those are viewing this article on Apple News you can see the post here):
The official announcement followed shortly thereafter.
Oliver Oakes, who is making his debut this week as the new Team Principal, hailed Doohan’s commitment to the team. ”We are very excited to promote Jack into the race seat from next season and, in doing so, giving him the opportunity to showcase his skill and talent in Formula 1. Jack will become the first driver to graduate from the Alpine Academy into a race driver position with the team, so that is exceptionally pleasing for the team and its young driver pathway,” said Oakes. “Personally, I have worked with Jack back in 2019 and I am fully aware of his raw talent and potential. He is a very hard worker behind the scenes and his commitment is hugely valued by the entire team. Alongside Pierre, we have a well-balanced driver line-up with a good combination between youthful energy, experience, and pure speed. We look forward to working with both Jack and Pierre in order to keep developing the car and bring the team up the grid.”
Doohan called the promotion an “exciting moment.”
“I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with BWT Alpine F1 Team. I am very grateful for the trust and belief by the team’s senior management. There is so much work ahead to be prepared and ready and I will give my best in the meantime to absorb as much information and knowledge to be ready for the step up,” said Doohan. “It’s exceptionally satisfying to be the first graduate of the Alpine Academy to be in a race seat with the team and I’m extremely thankful to those who supported me along the way to make this a reality. It’s an exciting moment, a proud day for my family, and I look forward to taking it all in and pushing hard behind the scenes.”
Doohan last drove full-time during the 2023 season, finishing third in the Championship while driving for Invicta and winning three of the last five feature races. Instead of returning to the F2 grid this season, Doohan decided to focus his full attention on his reserve duties for Alpine, in the hopes of earning a spot on the grid.
Doohan walked me through his duties when we talked in Miami.
“Staying ready to hop in the car,” said Doohan when I asked him what his job entails. “What comes along with that is participating in all media briefings, engineering briefings, pre-session meetings, post-session meetings as well as being utilized for marketing activation, marketing meetings, spending time with [communications teams and social media teams]. I’m trying to maximize myself and my time here to make sure that I’m as ready as I can be.”
And now, Alpine believes he is ready.
