Australian Jack Doohan said he felt a lot of emotions after making his Formula 1 practice debut in Mexico on Friday, with proud father and motorcycling great Mick watching trackside.
The 19-year-old F2 driver is a member of Alpine's academy and seen as a possible reserve for the Renault-owned team next year after the departure of McLaren-bound compatriot Oscar Piastri.
He said he would have not changed a thing after 13 laps with a best time of one minute and 24.615 seconds in the A522 car that will be raced by Esteban Ocon at the high-speed Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
"It's a gift and a curse starting at such a difficult place but also I can take so much from it, I've learned so much," he told reporters, his session ending early after a power unit problem.
"I've been preparing myself trying to make my way into the paddock. The nerves of jumping from Formula Two to F1 had been a little less because this is where I want to be.
"When I jumped into the car there was a lot of excitement and a heap of emotions, but once I was out on the track all that flushed away and it's hard to describe what I was feeling, but it was a really cool sensation."
It was a short session for the Australian
Doohan was unlucky to have his FP1 cut short due to a problem with the car, and said in Alpine post session brief: "It was a fantastic experience to drive in Free Practice 1 today, so thanks to Alpine for giving me that opportunity.
"I put in a lot of preparation for today including working with the engineers at Enstone and at the circuit as well as driving on the simulator. We had more running planned but, unfortunately, we had to stop early due to a small issue on the car," he explained.
"These things happen in motorsport, but to drive 13 laps here on a Grand Prix weekend was an incredible experience and something I'll remember forever. I'm looking forward to furthering my learning experience with the team this weekend where hopefully both Esteban and Fernando can score some points," Doohan added.
Doohan is also scheduled to drive in first free practice at the end of the season in Abu Dhabi, a circuit he expected to be easier than the high-altitude Mexico City track.
Mick, a five-times 500cc world champion, said he felt butterflies in his stomach as he watched.
"It’s a major box ticked really isn't it? This is what all these young drivers aim to do so as a father to see him there... I’ve been at every go-kart track along the way, so it’s a magnificent moment," he told Sky Sports television. (
Additional reporting by Alan Baldwin
, and by GrandPrix247Latest News
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