Alpine rookie Jack Doohan insists he is not facing any additional pressure on his F1 debut despite his team’s fight for sixth place in the constructors’ championship.
Doohan will make his first grand prix start this weekend in Abu Dhabi, replacing Esteban Ocon, who will join Haas after this final round.
Alpine are locked in a three-way battle with Haas and RB for sixth place in the constructors’ championship, with the team holding a five-point advantage over Haas and 14 point lead over RB.
Asked if he is under more pressure this weekend than a typical grand prix debut due to the championship situation, Doohan insisted “no, definitely not.”
“I think my objective is to go fast when in the car,” he told the official F1 channel. “I’m going to try and do that as much as possible and support the team as well to hopefully secure sixth and meet our objectives.”
While not racing this season after his final F2 campaign ended in 2023, Doohan has participated in two Friday practice sessions this season in Montreal and Silverstone in the A524, as well as routinely running a 2022 Alpine through F1’s testing with previous cars regulations. Doohan says there was fanfare around the announcement when he was informed by team executive advisor Flavio Briatore.
“He told me that I’d be racing, fairly simple – it’s very simple with Flavio – and to be ready,” he said.
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“There’s no real expectation. It’s to build it up over Friday. FP2 is new territory for me. So really just to progress through Friday and continue that progression. To finish the race and just to learn as much as possible before 2025.
I’m super grateful for Luca de Meo [Renault CEO], Flavio, and Ollie Oakes [team principal] for this opportunity – the whole Alpine academy. The TPC team have be preparing me for a long, long time. I’ve been a part of the programme since the end of 2021. To finally be the first academy driver to race, and my debut race this year ahead of next, is amazing.”
As well as racing around the Yas Marina circuit in F2, Doohan has also driven an F1 car in Abu Dhabi after participating in Friday practice in 2023 and then the post-season test day following the race. Doohan says he does not expect that experience to be a benefit this weekend.
“Somewhere compared to other circuits where I haven’t been before, it’s definitely better,” he said. “But I think it’s also a circuit that I know very well, but also one that all of these guys on the grid know very well.
“[It’s] a track where things can be quite close, timings can be quite close. Always test tracks like here, Barcelona, Bahrain, where you’re all doing a lot of laps, it tends to be even more difficult. So I’m looking forward to it. I’m glad that I have some knowledge myself, but I know it’s going to be not an easy job.”
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2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
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- No extra pressure on debut despite Alpine’s championship situation – Doohan
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