Jack Doohan has secured a new racing program while maintaining his link with Formula 1. The Australian was announced by Nielsen Racing to compete in the European Le Mans Series in 2026, marking his return to competition after almost a year away.
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The news comes as Doohan also fulfills his duties as a reserve driver at Haas, paving the way to maintain an active presence in motorsport. The opportunity is seen as important for the 23-year-old driver, who seeks to resume his career after a turbulent period in early 2025.
The Australian driver suffered a setback in his career last season when he was released by Alpine after just six rounds. Franco Colapinto was promoted to replace him, leaving doubts about Doohan’s future in single-seater categories.
Since then, the driver has found a new opportunity in Formula 1 by taking on the reserve role at Haas. The role keeps the Australian close to the F1 grid while he prepares his return to the track in another category.
In the European Le Mans Series, Doohan will drive Nielsen Racing’s ORECA 07 Gibson prototype, competing in the LMP2 class. He will share the number 24 car with Roy Nissany and Edward Pearson, forming a new driver lineup for the team.
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Nissany brings previous experience as a Formula 1 test driver and made his endurance debut last year with Duqueine. Pearson joins the project after competing in single-seater categories, just like Doohan himself, marking an important change in the Australian’s trajectory.
For Doohan, the transition to endurance racing represents a new challenge after years focused on single-seaters. Still, the young driver showed enthusiasm for the opportunity and highlighted the importance of returning to regular competition.
“I’m very excited to be back racing, it will be almost twelve months since my last race. It’s incredible to do this with Nielsen Racing and make this transition to sports cars,” he stated. The Australian also highlighted the need for adaptation but showed confidence: “There is a lot to learn, and it is extremely important to have track time, but we will adapt quickly with a great team around me, and I can’t wait to get started,” he added.
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