Alpine has confirmed that Esteban Ocon has left the team, and that Jack Doohan will race in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. As RACER reported on Sunday night after the Qatar Grand Prix, Ocon has driven his final race for Alpine and the team has moved to …
Alpine has confirmed that Esteban Ocon has left the team, and that Jack Doohan will race in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
As RACER reported on Sunday night after the Qatar Grand Prix, Ocon has driven his final race for Alpine and the team has moved to run his 2025 replacement Doohan from the final race of this season. Alpine said the switch frees Ocon up to take part in the post-race test for Haas – the team he is joining in 2025 – and paid tribute to the Frenchman in a short statement.
“The team would like to thank Esteban for his time at the team and he will remain part of the team’s history achieving the first win for Alpine in Formula 1,” the statement read. “We wish Esteban the best for the future.”
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Doohan’s appearance will bring the number of drivers to have raced in Formula 1 this year to 24, joining Oliver Bearman, Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson, Daniel Ricciardo and Logan Sargeant as having completed partial seasons or made substitute appearances.
Doohan will run the number 61 this weekend as his registered reserve driver number, however the Australian rookie has chosen the number seven for his first full season in the sport next year.
By giving Doohan the chance to drive for a full race weekend at a circuit where he has tested in the past, Alpine gets a first look at its rookie driver before the off-season. That opportunity comes following rumors the team could still consider other options for 2025, particularly with Franco Colapinto still seeking a race seat and understood to bring significant financial backing should he be able to secure a full-time drive.
Esteban Ocon is set to leave Alpine one race before the end of his contract, with Jack Doohan poised to drive in his place in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Frenchman is joining Haas in 2025 and has struggled to match teammate Pierre Gasly for spells …
Esteban Ocon is set to leave Alpine one race before the end of his contract, with Jack Doohan poised to drive in his place in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Frenchman is joining Haas in 2025 and has struggled to match teammate Pierre Gasly for spells during this season, scoring just five points before his stunning second place in Brazil. Gasly’s fifth place in the Qatar Grand Prix leaves him with eight point-scoring finishes to Ocon’s five, while the qualifying head-to-head between the two is 12-11 in Gasly’s favor, but Ocon has only outqualified his teammate once in the past five races.
After another disappointing qualifying performance in the Qatar Grand Prix — where Ocon was 20th and slowest while Gasly missed out on Q3 by 0.012s — it is understood discussions accelerated relating to a potential early split.
RACER understands a decision has now been made that will see Ocon replaced by Doohan for the final race in Abu Dhabi. Multiple sources indicate an official announcement is not due until Monday.
Alpine is refusing to officially comment, with team principal Oliver Oaks suggesting talks are ongoing.
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“I think there’s been a discussion, yeah,” Oakes said. “I don’t think there’s been a definitive answer yet, but it has been talked about. It’s obviously slightly complex, because as much as he is ours, he is contractually a Mercedes junior as well, or driver. And obviously he’d like to be released early as well.
“I think it comes from all sides, really. I guess you could say it’s good to get Jack in early. I think you could say from Esteban’s side it’s good to move on early. I think it suits everybody. The discussion was quite natural, really. Honestly, Esteban has been a big part of this team as well. From both sides, it suits each other.”
Alpine reserve driver Doohan — already scheduled to race for the team in 2025 — is slated to be in Abu Dhabi regardless, a track where he’s due to drive during the post-race test.
Doohan’s own future has been the center of speculation due to the availability of Franco Colapinto, who is believed to be attracting significant sponsorship should he be able to secure a race seat next season.
Alpine has confirmed its reserve driver Jack Doohan will be promoted to a race seat alongside Pierre Gasly in 2025. The 21-year-old Doohan has been solely focused on reserve duties this season after finishing third in last year’s Formula 2 …
Alpine has confirmed its reserve driver Jack Doohan will be promoted to a race seat alongside Pierre Gasly in 2025.
The 21-year-old Doohan has been solely focused on reserve duties this season after finishing third in last year’s Formula 2 championship, while he has also had multiple FP1 outings for Alpine. The Australian becomes the first Alpine Academy driver to progress directly into a race seat with the team, and is the second confirmed rookie on the 2025 grid alongside Oliver Bearman at Haas.
“I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with BWT Alpine F1 Team,” Doohan said. “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.
“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.”
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Confirmation of the Alpine lineup is the first major announcement under new team principal Oliver Oakes, who says the work that Doohan has done for the team in the simulator and in testing has been rewarded.
“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,” Oakes said. “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.
“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 lineup 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 will continue as reserve driver for the rest of the current season, as well as carry out further tests in the 2022 Alpine as part of the team’s testing of previous cars (TPC) program.
It was not even 24 hours after the Belgian Grand Prix had ended, when members of Formula 1 teams were preparing to take a few weeks off during August, that Carlos Sainz finally announced his next move. Sainz had been described as the cork in the …
It was not even 24 hours after the Belgian Grand Prix had ended, when members of Formula 1 teams were preparing to take a few weeks off during August, that Carlos Sainz finally announced his next move.
Sainz had been described as the cork in the bottle by Kevin Magnussen – on the record, and in sometimes more colorful language by multiple other drivers off it – when it came to the driver market, with so many teams showing interest and making offers to the Spaniard.
Realistically Sainz’s options came down to a choice between Williams, Alpine and Stake/Sauber/Audi, and while Sainz’s decision has brought clarity for the first of that trio’s situation, the other two still have vacancies that need filling.
Further clarity may be imminent as the paddock reconvenes in Zandvoort this weekend, but there’s also a chance there’s going to be less of a rush as neither team appears to have been able to secure their first choice.
If we start with the more competitive of the two at the moment, Alpine might finally be about to promote one of its junior drivers into a race seat – and fair play to the team for putting itself in that position given its ongoing off-track instability and where it started this season.
It’s always tough to compare drivers, but the success of Oscar Piastri after a year in the reserve role at Enstone shows that Alpine can prepare young talent even if it hasn’t always then handled their contracts effectively, and Jack Doohan has been following in his fellow Australian’s footsteps over the past two years.
This year is far more similar to Piastri’s final year with Alpine, as Doohan isn’t racing but solely focused on the reserve and development role, and he has made a strong case for a chance in F1 with testing outings on top of some of his previous F2 performances.
But he’s not alone on that list, with Valtteri Bottas still on the market and serving as an experienced option should Alpine want to head that way. So is his current teammate Zhou Guanyu, a former Renault junior who never got a shot in a race seat with the team. The latter could bring backing as well as some experience now, but would also be a slightly harsh call over Doohan.
Mick Schumacher has ties through Alpine’s hypercar program and will also be a consideration, and Kevin Magnussen is also a free agent if the team wants more experience and doesn’t get Bottas.
Bottas and Magnussen are both experienced options. Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
The future Audi project has been a bit of a mess over the past 18 months, and it has shown through the managerial changes that have taken place recently, alongside the fact it couldn’t convince Sainz to join.
But the hirings of Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley are strong ones, and all of the drivers above will hold some interest in being part of the transition next year. Sebastian Vettel’s name has also been linked with a return to F1 with Audi, although Helmut Marko clarified he was one of multiple options he mentioned as attractive German drivers that could partner Nico Hulkenberg.
Such is the lack of clear expectations over where the team goes next after missing out on Sainz, however, that even the name of Formula 2 title contender Gabriel Bortoleto has cropped up in passing. The Brazilian impressed in his rookie year, but is part of the McLaren young driver setup.
The lack of firm interest from Mercedes in Sainz was somewhat surprising to Williams team principal James Vowles, but it also served to somewhat keep Toto Wolff’s team out of the limelight when it comes to its driver situation. In any other year, there would be incessant focus on the vacancy at Mercedes, with the team needing to replace the most successful driver in F1 history when Lewis Hamilton heads for Ferrari.
That’s not to say there hasn’t been attention on Mercedes, but certainly less than you might have expected for that seat given the way the driver market has been playing out, and with the growing feeling that it will be Andrea Kimi Antonelli making the step up as a rookie.
Antonelli turns 18 at the end of this weekend, and that opens up the possibility of him making an FP1 appearance at his home race in Monza. He has tested for Mercedes already this year, but it would be another step on the path towards a full-time race seat if he were to get a Friday practice outing. If he does, take it as a sign of the continuing trend towards Antonelli partnering George Russell in 2025.
Lawson and Perez’s futures have been constant talking points. Andy Hone/Motorsport Images
And the other factor to keep in mind, despite comments at the start of the break, is the ongoing focus at Red Bull relating to Sergio Perez.
Marko promised a decision on reserve driver Liam Lawson next month – meaning in September – and he’s certainly a strong candidate for the as-yet-unconfirmed RB seat, but that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be movement elsewhere too.
The decision from Red Bull to stick by Perez and show faith in him heading into the break was sensible in the way that it meant there were no doubts or strong rumors during those few weeks. But that also doesn’t mean the team is guaranteeing him his spot indefinitely.
The focus will be on making sure the car helps Perez feel more confident behind the wheel, and Red Bull is taking on its share of the responsibility on that front. But if there is not an upturn in performances and results alongside that work, then Perez is not immune from replacement.
That could provide a lifeline to Daniel Ricciardo, who is currently staring at a departure from RB unless he produces some remarkable performances. He probably needs to be doing that anyway, but if Perez does regain the type of form that he had at the start of the season then there won’t be room for Ricciardo at Red Bull and Lawson could well be replacing him in 2025. And that’s without factoring in the job Isack Hadjar is doing in F2, where he leads the championship.
Decisions and announcements could come at any time, but what it all adds up to is at least the potential for a quiet spell, because Mercedes and RB look extremely likely to promote from within their own ranks.
Alpine and Stake then have a large number of potential candidates to choose from. The ball is now more in their courts than Sainz’s, as was the case previously, so if they don’t make quick commitments there could still be a few twists and turns in the market yet.
Mick Schumacher will take part in an Alpine test alongside reserve driver Jack Doohan as the team continues to weigh up its driver options for 2025. The test will be in a 2022 car at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, as part of the testing of …
Mick Schumacher will take part in an Alpine test alongside reserve driver Jack Doohan as the team continues to weigh up its driver options for 2025.
The test will be in a 2022 car at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, as part of the testing of previous cars (TPC) running that is allowed under the regulations with two-year-old machinery. Alpine has been giving Doohan plenty of track time and the latest test continues his development alongside his FP1 and simulator work, but Schumacher will also get an outing.
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“As part of our TPC program, we will test reserve driver Jack Doohan, in line with his 2024 schedule, as well as Mick Schumacher as part of his Alpine Endurance project next week at Circuit Paul Ricard,” an Alpine spokesperson said. “We look forward to continuing to use our Race Support Team and the A522 Formula 1 car during our TPC program.”
Schumacher is part of Alpine’s sportscar team competing in the World Endurance Championship and raced in the top class at Le Mans 10 days ago, but both of the team’s cars were retired around the quarter-distance mark due to suspected engine issues.
While he’s been testing with Mercedes and in old McLaren machinery, the timing of the Alpine run comes with the team analyzing its options for 2025, with Esteban Ocon announced as leaving the team at the end of the year. That leaves at least one vacancy – with Alpine keen to retain Pierre Gasly but his future also still unconfirmed – and both Doohan and Schumacher are understood to be under consideration.
Doohan has not yet raced in F1 while Schumacher completed two seasons with Haas before losing his seat at the end of 2022, being replaced by Nico Hulkenberg.
Carlos Sainz is also a target for Alpine but the French constructor is believed to still be ranked as the outside option behind Williams and Stake – the future Audi entry – while Zhou Guanyu has also been interested in a return to Alpine having come through the young driver program there, and Zhou’s current teammate Valtteri Bottas is also still on the market.
Alpine reserve driver Jack Doohan says he feels “more ready than ever” if he gets the chance to step up into a race seat with the team in 2025. Doohan has been linked with the vacancy created by Esteban Ocon’s departure from Alpine at the end of …
Alpine reserve driver Jack Doohan says he feels “more ready than ever” if he gets the chance to step up into a race seat with the team in 2025.
Doohan has been linked with the vacancy created by Esteban Ocon’s departure from Alpine at the end of this season, with Pierre Gasly’s future also unconfirmed. The Australian has been carrying out numerous private tests with previous Alpine cars but also made his first FP1 appearance of the season in a rain-hit practice session in Canada, and he believes he has been well prepared for a potential promotion if it is forthcoming.
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“It’s obviously a great opportunity, it’s my dream to be in Formula 1 and I want to be on the grid next year,” Doohan told SpeedCity Broadcasting. “If the opportunity presents itself here then that would be amazing. I’ve been building and growing with this team now for the last three years, so it would be a great transition.
“I went testing a lot in the 2021 machinery and also 2022, so I feel more ready than ever, I felt extremely comfortably coming into [the FP1 run] as well, so it’ll be a natural transition. But I’ll keep my head down, I’m here as reserve driver.
“I’m taking it day-by-day and if everything aligns then great, but I’ll just keep working and make sure that I maximize my job on track when I get the opportunity – hopefully more laps than [Canada]! – and off the track whether that’s in the sim or with the [race team].”
Doohan says he doesn’t know how the rest of his FP1 outings might look while there is uncertainty over the race seats moving forward.
“Really we’re not even looking too far into the future. There’s so much to be decided and so much happening as well know, so we’re really taking it, honestly, day-by-day, and session-by-session. I think with things happening sooner rather than later that will all fall into place in due course.”
Doohan also stated his FP1 outing in Canada was not a reaction to the controversy in Monaco, where Ocon was criticized for trying to overtake Gasly on the opening lap and causing a collision between the two Alpine cars.
Jack Doohan will drive for Alpine in FP1 at both the Mexico City Grand Prix and the season final in Abu Dhabi as part of the team’s mandatory rookie outings. The Alpine reserve driver took part in FP1s at the same two venues last year and will …
Jack Doohan will drive for Alpine in FP1 at both the Mexico City Grand Prix and the season final in Abu Dhabi as part of the team’s mandatory rookie outings.
The Alpine reserve driver took part in FP1s at the same two venues last year and will continue his development this year. Doohan is currently fourth in the Formula 2 championship and has a chance of finishing as runner-up with one round remaining, but has been preparing for F1 outings with a testing program alongside his F2 duties.
“It is a huge honor to be given the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car on a grand prix weekend for the second year in a row,” Doohan said. “I am very grateful to BWT Alpine F1 Team for the chance to drive the A523 in Free Practice in both Mexico and Abu Dhabi.
“I have been working really hard with the team this year as their reserve driver, taking every opportunity to learn as much as possible for them and I feel prepared to step up and take over driving duties for the team. My sole focus is doing what is required of me by the team in order to contribute positively to the team’s outcome across the two grand prix weekends.”
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Interim team principal Bruno Famin says Doohan has impressed with his approach whenever he has had a chance to work with the F1 team, even if his own focus is on his final races of the season.
“It is great to announce that Jack will be taking over driving duties in Mexico and Abu Dhabi for the two Free Practice 1 sessions,” Famin said. “Jack has worked hard over the course of the year as BWT Alpine F1 Team’s reserve driver and his attitude to learn the ropes in that role has been very pleasing to see.
“His main priority remains finishing his Formula 2 campaign in the best possible way in Abu Dhabi, however, we look forward to supporting him in the two Free Practice sessions and having his contribution to the team’s performance.”
