It is common to see racers follow in their father’s footsteps, especially in the world of Formula 1. We’ve had multiple father-son duos reaching the top echelons like Graham and Damon Hill, Keke and Nico Rosberg, Gilles and Jacques Villeneuve, and even Jos and Max Verstappen.
Jack Doohan too intends to carry forward the family legacy, with a slight difference. Son of five-time MotoGP world champion Mick Doohan, Jack never really shared his father’s love for two-wheelers, but racing was always in his blood and on Friday, Jack was named Alpine F1 team’s new driver for the 2025 season.
“I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with BWT Alpine F1 Team. I am very grateful for the trust and belief by the team’s senior management,” Jack said in a statement.
From the very beginning, Jack wasn’t keen on emulating Kenny Roberts Sr and Jr. The Americans are the only father and son duo to have won the MotoGP World Championship. “Racing was in the blood, wasn’t it? With my dad on the bikes, I grew up around something rolling; doesn’t matter whether it was two or four-wheelers,” Jack had told this daily in an earlier interview.
Instead, Jack’s keenness for four-wheel racing was spurred on when his father’s friend and F1 legend Michael Schumacher gifted him a go-kart on his fifth birthday.
“My career really took off from there,” Jack had said. While Jack did try his hand on dirt bikes, which he still rides when at home during the off-season, some serious injuries at a young age led Mick to persuade his son to take up the ‘safer’ option.
Inspired by the seven-time F1 world champion, the Australian moved to single-seater formula racing after making a mark in karting. Jack first took part in the British Formula 4 Championship in 2018 before moving to Germany and then Italy to take part in more F4 championships.
It was then that he and his team decided to come to India to take part in the 2018-19 season of MRF Challenge in Chennai. The Indian racing series is one of premier single-make winter racing championships where young and upcoming drivers get valuable track time during the off-season.
In five Formula 2000 races at Chennai’s Madras International Circuit, Jack finished in the points, finishing on the podium twice. His learnings in India helped the Australian earn a seat in Formula 3 Asia and subsequently Formula 3 the next season which further helped him climb the ladder into Formula 2 – the primary feeder series for F1.
After racing in F2 for a little more than two seasons where he ended third in the championship last year, Jack finally made his way to the pinnacle of four-wheel racing as he is set to replace Esteban Ocon and partner Pierre Gasly in the French outfit where he is currently a reserve driver and will continue to be so for the rest of 2024.
“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,” concluded Jack.