Last summer, Jack Doohan made his dream come true.
The Australian young driver secured a full-time spot on the Formula 1 grid and won a promotion at Alpine to drive alongside Pierre Guthrie during the 2025 season. Later in the year, Duhan realized another dream. He made his F1 debut at the end of the season Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in place of Esteban Ocon.
However, speculation about employment safety followed many Formula 1 drivers, and these questions quickly began to circulate around the Alpine Doohan spot. The team not only continued to add young drivers to stable spare reserves, including Formula 2 driver Kush Maini earlier this week, but also fought for the 2025 grid spot. Williams' super sub Franco Colapinto
Corapinto won mid-season promotion with Williams last year, replacing Logan Sargent. What the younger driver did during his stint on the grid was score points in two races, including two races.
Corapinto ultimately missed his full-time seat in 2025, but the move to Alpine as a reserve soon makes many wonder whether Duhan's time in Formula 1 is short-lived.
Talk on Thursday Prior to the Australian Grand Prix (his home race), which opened the season, Douhan dismissed the “rumorrows” and outlined where his focus was heading into the season.
“I wasn't thinking about it because there's no point in thinking about rumors, as you all know. But you know, I'm on a contract, if not more, this year, at least, so I'm looking forward to a lot of home grand prizes,” Duhan began.
Doohan then outlined that Corapinto is not the only driver aiming for a spot on the grid, and not someone else's driver, what is currently occupying by an Australian driver.
After all, it's part of life in Formula 1.
“And the uncertainty? You don't mind worrying about them. I think you have to play every time you get into the car. There's one person chasing the seat, but there are actually four people. If you haven't noticed, there are four reserves. Not only Franco, but perhaps I want my seat, and if not, Pierre also wants,” explained Duhan. “And I've been hoping for their seats for the past two years while I was a spare driver. So you want to enjoy every moment I'm in the car, so you know that, honestly, I enjoy every race, as if it was my last one. But, yeah, honestly, adding that isn't much more.”
That fun is where Duhan's focus will be this season.
“Enjoy,” Duan said. He asked what his rookie campaign goal was. “Enjoy every time I'm on track, because from number one, that's why I'm here. And to work hard with the team, extract everything I can from Bahrain's preseason tests and play it this weekend and make sure you're on track, whatever the car's potential is.”
The possibility of Alpine this season is one of the fascinating F1 storylines, given that the team rose in their rankings and went well after a difficult start in 2024, and ended up in sixth place. Can Alpine have a surprise package in 2025?
I'll learn more this weekend.
