Jack Doohan, a 22-year-old Australian race car driver, is starting his first season with the Alpine Formula One team. His boss, Oliver Oakes, is proud of how Jack dealt with tough questions from reporters before his big debut. Formula One is a super fast car racing competition held all over the world.
Jack first drove for Alpine, a team owned by the car company Renault, in Abu Dhabi last December. His first official race this season will be in Melbourne, Australia, on March 16, 2025. But people have been talking about whether Jack will keep his spot on the team. Another driver, Franco Colapinto from Argentina, recently joined Alpine from another team, Williams, and might take Jack’s place later.
Last month, reporters asked Jack if he felt worried about losing his spot. He gave a strong answer that impressed his boss. Oakes told reporters in Bahrain, after three days of practice driving, “I was quite proud of him being punchy with you all.” “Punchy” means Jack answered boldly and didn’t let the questions bother him. Oakes didn’t say exactly how many races Jack would get, though.
Oakes feels bad that Jack gets so much attention from the media. He said, “I actually feel for him, because I get that everybody wants the clickbait and that’s a discussion topic. But I think also he should be given a bit of space to just get on with it for a few rounds.” “Clickbait” means headlines that grab attention online, even if they’re not the full story. Oakes thinks Jack should have a chance to race without all the pressure from people talking about his future.
Oakes added, “I think he’s done a really good job of just blocking out the noise and getting on with it.” This means Jack is focusing on driving instead of listening to rumors. Oakes explained that all drivers feel pressure, no matter how experienced they are. He said, “I get everybody has an opinion, everyone can be a keyboard warrior as well but it’s very simple though, isn’t it? We’re here to go racing, we want the best driver in the car, the best engine in the car.” A “keyboard warrior” is someone who shares strong opinions online. Oakes just wants the team to race and see what happens.
The team’s advisor, Flavio Briatore, said Jack and another driver, Pierre Gasly, will start the season together. Oakes agreed, saying, “I think we’ve been really honest as a team as to what we’re doing. I’m pretty chilled with it… Jack just get on with it and also let the team get on with it.” “Chilled” means relaxed. Oakes trusts Jack to do his job.
Jack is the son of Mick Doohan, a famous motorcycle racer. During practice in Bahrain, Jack stayed safe and did well. Alpine finished sixth out of all teams last year, and they hope to do even better this season. Oakes said, “I think our target is to continue where we ended up at the end of last year…we kind of want to be clipping at the heels of those (front) teams.” This means they want to be close to the top four teams. He also said, “Both drivers have been pretty happy with the car.”
In short, Jack Doohan is ready to race for Alpine, and his boss is happy with how he’s handling the spotlight. The team wants to focus on racing, not rumors, and hopes to challenge the best teams this year!
