Jack Doohan’s future in Formula 1 has returned to the spotlight after harsh criticism from his father towards Alpine. Motorcycling legend and former rider Mick Doohan described the way his son was treated by the team at the start of the 2025 season as unfair.
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The situation gained prominence after Doohan lost his seat just a few months after starting his journey as a regular driver for the French team. According to Mick, the decision already seemed set even before the start of the season, which made the process even more frustrating for the young driver.
Doohan was promoted to Alpine at the end of 2024 and debuted for the team at that year’s Abu Dhabi GP. The Australian was kept for the start of the following season, but his stay began to be questioned after the team announced the signing of Franco Colapinto as a reserve driver.
The uncertainty was quickly confirmed. After just six rounds of the 2025 season, Alpine announced a driver swap, demoting Doohan to the reserve role and promoting Colapinto. Subsequently, the Australian left the team at the beginning of 2026.
Commenting on the situation, Mick did not hide his dissatisfaction with the decision made by the French team: “I really can’t comment much on it, but I think it was unfair,” he stated in an interview with the newspaper Marca.
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The multi-time motorcycling champion also indicated that the outcome already seemed decided even before the start of the championship: “It was from the beginning. They replaced a driver even before the season started. And basically that was it. My son had a long-term contract, he was the first Alpine junior to arrive as a regular driver. It became clear, for reasons I cannot say, that a different direction was taken,” he said.
Despite the episode, Mick highlighted that Doohan remains focused on his career and continues to compete: “Jack is a strong young man, and his plan is to continue. He is racing now in Barcelona, in the European Le Mans, with a good racing car,” he added.
Shortly after leaving Alpine, Doohan was announced as a Haas reserve driver. According to his father, the Australian still maintains the goal of returning to the Formula 1 grid as a regular driver: “He is with Haas now, as a reserve driver, looking to secure a seat and with a team that is more committed to contracts,” Mick Doohan concluded, in another indirect criticism of Alpine.
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