Earlier this season Alpine confirmed that reserve driver Jack Doohan would be joining the Formula 1 grid on a full-time basis next season with the team.
Jack Doohan ‘excited’ for F1 debut at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Alpine hopes to hold on for sixth in the F1 Constructors’ Championship at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
It seems next year has arrived.
Alpine announced on Monday that Doohan would be driving in place of Esteban Ocon at the season’s final race, this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The move comes at a critical juncture for the team, as Alpine hopes to hold onto sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship standings in the season finale. At the moment Alpine has a five-point lead over Haas, with Visa Cash App RB F1 Team lurking 13 points behind them.
While the decision certainly puts Doohan into the deep end of the grid, the driver is “excited” for the opportunity.
“It is great to be making my Formula One debut with the team in Abu Dhabi this weekend,” said Doohan in the team’s pre-race preview. “This track holds a lot of special memories for me. I have raced at the Yas Marina Circuit at various points throughout my career and it is also where I won my final Formula 2 race in 2023, so I am excited to get back on track there but this time in Formula One.
“This weekend, as well as the post-season test, present an opportunity for myself and the team to have additional track time together as we gear up for the 2025 season and the aim for myself will be to support the team’s ambition to finish in sixth in the Constructors’ Championship,” added Doohan. “I am looking forward to working together with them to achieve this goal and to close out the season on a positive note.”
This move brings to a close Ocon’s time with the team, as he will participate in the post-season test with Haas following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before driving for the team next season. Pierre Gasly paid tribute to his former teammate — and childhood friend — ahead of the weekend.
“Firstly, I would like to thank and wish Esteban the best for his future. It’s been a special story for us to be team-mates together at Alpine. We’ve had some incredible moments like São Paulo, of course, and also some low ones, but that is how racing goes sometimes,” began Gasly.
The driver then turned to what awaits the team at Yas Marina.
“Now I have Jack next to me in the garage and I look forward to beginning the next chapter with him. Now we head to Abu Dhabi for the final race of the year and it’s all to play for. The target is to consolidate sixth in the Constructors’ Championship,” added Gasly. “The entire season has been long and challenging for the whole team but everyone back in Enstone and Viry have worked incredibly hard to turn around the car from where we were in Bahrain to where we are now, consistently fighting in the top-ten.
“The Yas Marina Circuit is a track we all know very well so hopefully we can get straight to it and build up our weekend progressively,” continued Gasly. “The first and second sectors are very high-speed with fast corners and two long straights before the street track-style final sector with quick changes of direction and some close walls. I’m aiming to end the season on a high this weekend, the entire team deserves it.”
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