Jack Doohan from dirt bikes to Formula 1's new kid on the block

Saturday, 07 December 2024 at 07:30

Jack Doohan was seven years old when he decided he was going to be a Formula 1 driver, as the son of Australian MotoGP legend Mick Doohan, he was always destined for a life on the racetrack - it was just a matter of how many wheels.

His journey on two wheels hit a speed bump on his fifth birthday. Riding a dirt bike with his mates, Doohan broke his leg after he was T-boned. The only sensible thing to do after that was jump into a Michael Schumacher-gifted go-kart.

He hasn't looked back since. At age 21, he is about to follow through on his dream. Doohan is set this weekend to become the 16th Australian to race in F1, with his 2025 seat at Alpine brought forward to the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

He will line up along the likes of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, four-time title holder Max Verstappen and fellow Australian Oscar Piastri in a McLaren at the Yas Marina Circuit. And while Doohan's F1 debut comes one race early, it's no shock to childhood friend Broc Feeney.

Jack has no car racing titles on his racing CV worth mentioning

Jack Doohan: Inside new Alpine F1 driver's incredible motorsports journey from Gold Coast to Formula One | Gold Coast Bulletin

Feeney, a rising Supercars star for Red Bull, recalls Doohan's talent on the go-kart track at Lismore Kart Club easily. The pair have known each other since birth, Feeney's dad Paul himself a motorcycle racer and good mates with five-time 500cc motorcycle world champion Mick.

Doohan has a decorated resume in junior karting, winning the CIK Stars of Karting Series in 2014, the Australian Kart Championship twice (2015, '16) and finishing third in the FIA European Karting Championship in 2017.

Feeney won the Australian Kart Championship that year before moving to cars in 2018 and making his Supercars debut as seven-time title winner Jamie Whincup's successor in 2022.

Feeney told AP: "I always remember this - Jack might not be the quickest in testing, but you'd rock up at a race weekend and he'd always be there. He pushed me. He was always probably that little bit better than me in karts and I always had to try and chase him down.

"We were each other's rivals. We were just racing together for probably seven years. He's part of the reason I ended up transitioning to go-karts from motorbikes. I'll certainly be glued to the TVs. I'm spewing I can't make it there. I always said I'd try and get to his first race," added Feeney.

Ocon's fallout with Alpine management became an opportunity for Doohan

21-year-old Doohan's arrival at Alpine appears to be coming at the right time. The Renault-owned Alpine struggled through the opening two-thirds of the season, eventually prompting them to use Doohan ahead of current driver Esteban Ocon.

But the Enstone-based team claimed a double podium in the wet in Brazil last month, along with two other points finishes in the past four races.

Moving to Formula 4 in 2018, Doohan had carved a successful career in Formula 3 and Formula 2 to become a stand-in for Alpine in 2023.

Finishing third in the 2023 F2 championship, he will be Alpine's first academy graduate to drive in the main game for the team after Piastri left for McLaren.

Feeney continued: "I knew he was always capable of it. It was probably just things falling in line. If you asked Jack at seven years old what he was going to do when he was older, he was going to tell you 'Be a Formula 1 driver'.

"There was never really any doubt that he'd be able to make it there, but it's a long journey - 14 years later and he's going to make his debut. We were racing together at Lismore and now he's lining up against Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen this weekend. It's pretty crazy," reckoned Feeney.

Doohan spent Friday practice sessions in Abu Dhabi dialling into his new 'workspace' and prepping for his first F1 Qualifying on Saturday and his debut Grand Prix on Sunday. Jack ended his first day P19, four-tenths down on teammate Pierre Gasly.