Alpine’s Jack Doohan chats reserve drivers, famous owners, and more with SB Nation

MIAMI — It was supposed to be an innocent question.

But the answer was not.

On a humid Friday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium, I was grateful to be sitting in Alpine’s hospitality space at the Miami Grand Prix. reason? Somehow I was lucky enough to be invited to a media lunch with reserve driver Jack Doohan. During his hour with Alpine’s reserve driver, we covered a lot, including his motorsport journey, his excitement about Alpine’s progress and even some of his magical surfing spots.

During that discussion, I asked Doohan which of Alpine’s new investors he was most looking forward to meeting. This team has been in the news for a variety of reasons over the past two seasons, and one of those reasons is because of his A-list names joining the team as investors. Names include Ryan Reynolds, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Mahomes, and Travis Kelce. So I decided to ask what I thought was an easy question.

What I received was not a light-hearted answer, but a stark reminder of what is at stake in F1.

“[Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua] Doohan told me: “To win a fight, you’re going to get hit in the head, or you’re going to hit your opponent in the head. And that can mean life or death. So he’s got to put all his eggs in the basket. I’m in a similar situation as you are.

“It was really good to talk to him and understand his mentality because there’s definitely a lot going into it.”

I needed time to gather my thoughts before asking my next question.

Doohan is a racer’s racer. His father, Mick, won the MotoGP world title five years in a row and made a name for himself in the motorcycle world. As for young Doohan, he entered the world of karting before he was 10 years old, receiving his first kart from none other than Michael Schumacher.

At that point, during our discussion, none other than Mick Schumacher came over to say hello, driving home the point that Doohan is in a class of his own in a world full of racers.

But despite growing up on Australia’s Gold Coast, Doohan’s first international victory came right here in the United States, in Florida. This gives young drivers many connections and memories with the area.

“My first international win was in Palm Beach, Florida,” Doohan said. “I raced in the Florida Winter Series and a few weeks later I also raced here in Homestead in Miami and Ocala. So, that was back when I was 12 years old. That was a long time ago. Very early memories. And a lot of my family, friends from my cart days that I keep in touch with, and some who actually moved here from Australia.”

But while Doohan might then be expected to spend some time visiting the area with family and friends after the Miami Grand Prix, the reserve driver job is a constant process and his Care will also be needed elsewhere.

“We return home on Sunday night and after that we also have a test day for the 2022 F1 car and a heavy simulator program,” Doohan said.

Reserve drivers fill multiple roles for an F1 team. They’re heavily involved in the marketing, media, and fan appreciation parts of the sport — in the latter regard, Doohan arrived with three bracelets on his right wrist, all gifts from fans — that Moreover, they also play a big role in the field of sportsdevelopment of cars both in pre-season and mid-season.

They must also be ready to jump into the cockpit and perform at the highest level of motorsport.

So ultimately, the reserve driver’s job is to be ready.

When asked what the job entailed, Doohan replied, “Be ready to jump in the car.” “What that entails is not only attending all the media briefings, engineering briefings, pre-session meetings, post-session meetings, but also marketing activations, marketing meetings, spending time with customers. It will also be used for [communications teams and social media teams]. I’m trying to make the most of myself and my time here to make sure I’m as prepared as I can be. ”

The need can appear instantly. Take Ferrari’s reserve driver Olly Bearman, for example. He was forced out of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this season after Carlos Sainz Jr. underwent an emergency appendectomy. I asked Doohan about Bearman’s debut and how difficult it was to suddenly switch things on.

“I think that’s who we are. [here to do]. You have to flip the switch and fire on all cylinders. That’s what’s great about it. So I’ve been in this role since the end of 2022,” Doohan explained. “So I’m very comfortable with it and I’m going to be very ready when the time comes where I have to juggle driving duties with marketing.”

Another item on your reserve driver’s to-do list? Help develop the mid-season car. That’s important for any F1 team, but it’s also crucial for Alpine this season. At the end of pre-season testing, the team knew the A524 had some issues that would make the start of the season difficult. Doohan is a key part of the process as the team races against the clock and the rest of the grid to deliver key upgrades.

“I can spend as many races as I can during the season.” [to be] Friday in the simulator [and during] race [for] Sim support. Therefore, it is a great opportunity to test further components. [that we aren’t] Due to time constraints, we were not able to test it on the track,” Doohan explained. “So I can be in the simulator from sun to midnight and do whatever I want in those conditions.

“So making the most of every weekend is very important, very important, and it also helps with development.” [of the car]”

Is there another aspect of your job that may go unnoticed by the cameras but is important during a Grand Prix? Helping with pit stop practice. After the first free practice session on Friday, I took a long walk down the pit lane. I’ve seen teams from Ferrari to Williams to Alpine practice their pit stops many times. Wheelgun frenzy roared as I rolled the car over the mark.

As reserve driver, Doohan is behind the wheel when the A524 is brought in each practice session, and is by no means a passive participant.

And he’s learning along the way.

Asked about the pit stop practice session, Doohan said, “That’s great for me too.” “Because pit stops are essential for us. Excuse me, but if you work hard for a tenth or two-twentieth of a lap on the track and you go a little too deep or you’re out of position, at the pit stop he’s five. This may result in a loss of seconds.

“So, at the end of the day, pit stops are very important.

“Such [I’m] I personally make sure that I start and stop perfectly on the mark, and prepare as much as possible for the actual race.

“It’s a great opportunity, not only for myself, but also for the team, to put drivers in the car and be able to stop exactly how they want.”

And what if Doohan doesn’t hit his marks accurately during that practice session?

You better believe he’ll hear about it.

“If I go in there while they’re there [practice] At a pit stop, if I’m a centimeter too long or a centimeter too far to the left, they annoy me like crazy… No, you have to make sure you’re stopping in the exact spot there is. ”

And in a sport where every millisecond counts, every centimeter counts as well.

“Because 10 centimeters means… [huge]. [It] Just the slightest movement of a man with a wheel gun. [who then] Then it has to move, and that wheel gun has to go perfectly straight at a sideways angle,” Doohan said, gesturing with his hand to complete the picture.

“If that happens, you’ll jam. You’ll be able to run for more than two seconds at a pit stop.”

In this sport, every millisecond, even centimeter, counts.

Alpine introduced a new floor for Esteban Ocon at the Chinese Grand Prix, which promised brighter days ahead. The team brought its new floor to Miami for Pierre Gasly’s A524, and after Friday’s practice session and sprint qualifying, both drivers expressed some optimism about the upgrade.

How does Doohan view the improved A524 as a key part of the upgrade process?

“So we need to catch up,” Doohan began. “We figured it out. But we’re going to move forward and make the most of every minute on the track, every lap, every session, we’re going to take small steps and And yes, this is [Friday] The morning was great, but we all know how it turned out.

“So we’re just trying to keep our heads down and play our cards the best we can.”

Photo credit: Kym Illman/Getty Images

Confidence is a prerequisite for work.

That’s true in any profession, but in the world of motorsport it’s non-negotiable. For example, in F1 there are only 20 drivers on the grid. Imagine the confidence it would take to believe in yourself enough to believe that you are one of only 20 people on the planet who can do what you need to do.

Doohan certainly has that confidence.

When you talk to young drivers, you can tell by the way they answer any question with a smile and a twinkle in their eyes. Watching him roam around the paddock and his space at Alpine Hospitality reminds me of that. You can see that when you watch him on the track and even at practice pit stops.

But ultimately, confidence is just one piece of the puzzle. To succeed in this world, you not only need to believe in yourself, but also the willingness to push everything to the limit. A willingness to stake more than not just the average person, but the thousands of other drivers vying for a spot on the grid.

Here are some questions I ask drivers every chance I get: What would you like people like me to know about your job? Logan Sargent talks about the limits of the track and Abi Pring talks about the physical demands of the sport.

Doohan talked about something more.

“There’s often kind of a misconception that it’s very safe. Obviously, we’re very well-controlled in terms of our equipment and how far our regulations are. [but] There are still some circuits, locations, and instances where your life is at risk. So juggling motorsport is dangerous, and mentally you can’t take it for granted that everything will always go well.

“It’s a cruel world out there.”

he continued.

“So there’s a lot to juggle, managing the mental emotions, the challenges on and off the track that are being forced on you by the media, the people, the fans, you guys.

“So the world we live in is a difficult world in which we are competing.”

I entered the Alpine hospitality space, believing that the driver I was about to meet would sooner or later be on the F1 grid.

I set out with that in mind.