Could Mick Doohan be key to Jack Doohan’s Alpine survival hopes?
Jack and Mick Doohan smile for the cameras at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix
Guenther Steiner believes Jack Doohan’s father, the motorcycling legend Mick Doohan, will “help” the under-pressure Alpine driver cope with the “exaggerated rumours” surrounding his F1 future.
After making his debut one race early at the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Queensland-born Doohan is preparing for his first full season in Formula 1 with the established Alpine team in F1 2025.
Will Jack Doohan cling on to Alpine F1 2025 seat?
Doohan, the son of five-time world motorcycling champion Mick, is one of two Australian drivers on the F1 2025 grid along with Melbourne’s Oscar Piastri, racing for reigning Constructors’ champions McLaren.
Despite agreeing a deal to race for Alpine last August, Doohan has found his seat come under scrutiny following the signing of the highly rated Franco Colapinto as the team’s reserve driver for F1 2025.
With Doohan’s contract widely reported to cover only the first few races of F1 2025, it has been heavily rumoured that the 22-year-old could be replaced by Colapinto at some stage during the season.
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PlanetF1.com understands that Doohan’s continued participation in the new season will be based on performance, as is the case with every other driver on the grid.
Steiner served as team principal of the Haas team between 2016 and 2023, working with the likes of Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen, Mick Schumacher and Nico Hulkenberg over the course of his tenure.
The former Haas boss has cast doubt over the accuracy of the claims that Doohan only has a select number of races to prove himself at Alpine, describing the speculation as “exaggerated.”
And he believes Doohan Sr will be a calming influence as the Alpine driver navigates a potentially challenging period at the start of the season.
He told Speedcafe: “I think the pressure comes from outside.
“[Like] a lot of these things which are happening in F1, it’s like someone said: ‘Oh, he has got only six races and then it will be decided.’
“Somebody said it, somebody repeated it and it got bigger and bigger.
“I don’t even know if it’s true because nobody knows where it came from, so for me it’s an exaggerated rumour. I just don’t see where it came from.
“It wasn’t an official statement, so if there’s no official statement I always assume that somebody opened his mouth not knowing what he’s saying, just wanting a headline.
“Jack needs to stay calm, do what he’d good at, race cars and then the performance will come and he will be here to stay.
“I may have simplified it a little bit, but that’s what it is about.
“Obviously, in F1, it’s not only him under pressure; everyone needs to perform. If he performs, he will be fine, there will be no problem.
“He has got his father, Mick, the legend, around, so he will help him to go through this pressure he has got on.
“When you are a race car driver, you have always got pressure.”
More on Jack Doohan and Alpine
Alpine adviser Flavio Briatore has frequently commented that Doohan’s seat is safe for the the start of the season, but has warned that he will not hesitate to make a change if performance is lacking.
Doohan told media including PlanetF1.com at last month’s season-launch event in London that he has been reassured by the team that Colapinto is Alpine’s reserve driver, taking exception to the suggestion that he has been “undermined” by the Argentine’s arrival.
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at the recent pre-season test in Bahrain, Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes backed Doohan’s combative approach to questions over his future.
Asked how the rookie is dealing with the speculation surrounding his seat, Oakes said: “He’s alright. I was quite proud of him being punchy with you all [the media]!
“I actually feel for him, because I get that everybody wants the clickbait and that’s a discussion topic, but I think he should be given a bit of space to just get on with it for a few rounds.
“And then at the end of the day, like any driver, you’ve got to deliver.
“I think he’s done a really good job of just blocking out the noise and getting on with it.”
Put to him that Doohan has a maximum of six races to impress at the start of the season, Oakes replied: “I think we’ve been really honest as a team as to what we’re doing. I’m pretty chilled on it.
“I think it would be nice – I keep saying it – [to] just let Jack just get on with it and also let the team get on with it, to be honest.
“I get everybody has an opinion. Everyone can be a keyboard warrior as well.
“It’s very simple, though, isn’t it? We’re here to go racing the best driver in the car, the best engine in the car.
“And from my side, I was pretty open, as Flavio said it, that we’re starting the season with Jack and Pierre.
“And then let’s see how it all goes.”
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