As the son of a five-time 500cc Motorcycle World Champion, Jack Doohan has always carried the weight of expectation. But his path to Formula 1 has been forged through sacrifice, ambition, as well as decisive career moves.
From his early days in karting, moving to Europe as a teenager, and leaving Red Bull for Alpine; to countless hours in the simulator, and that fateful last-minute call up to replace the outgoing Esteban Ocon at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Jack has navigated fierce competition (and speculative media) with a determined smile and unwavering support from his family.
In this exclusive interview with B.H. Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Want, Jack Doohan and his legendary father Mick Doohan discuss Jack’s journey; the young racing talent also provides insight into the mental and physical demands of elite motorsport, the political chess game of securing an F1 seat, and how he’s preparing for the biggest season of his life (at least to date).
James Want (B.H.): Jack, we’re catching you right before your rookie Formula 1 season – super exciting times. I wanted to start by asking you both why four wheels, not two? How did you manage that conversation growing up?
Mick Doohan: Honestly, it was never an issue. Jack liked dirt bikes, but he preferred karting. It’s like how I enjoyed rugby and surfing, but my passion was always motorcycles. There was never really a moment where he asked, “Can I go dirt bike racing?” His heart was always in four wheels.
Jack Doohan: A lot of people assume that if your dad is a champion in something, you’re getting pushed into it. But that was never the case. No matter what I wanted to do – rugby, bikes, karting – Dad would’ve backed me. Motorsport was what I wanted, not something I was forced into. And I won’t lie, if I were in his shoes, I’d be happy my son chose racing over rugby too!
B.H.: Growing up with a private track must have been a dream for a young karter.
MD: That was actually built long before Jack was born. It was originally for bigger kids – more for fun and training. But Jack started using it at a young age, riding dirt bikes and bicycles. When he got into karting, we approached it in the only way I knew – properly.
B.H.: What do you mean by properly?
MD: Well, in Australia, most families just buy a trailer, get a kart, and figure it out as they go. I had no experience in karting, but I knew where to take him to race. Luckily, we had some great support from people who knew engines and setup. Without them, I would’ve struggled to even change a tire! But once Jack was on track, I knew what he needed to do to improve.
B.H.: Jack, how competitive was karting for you growing up?
JD: It was intense. The karting scene in Australia is full of passionate parents, let’s put it that way. Before me, Oscar Piastri was one of the big names coming through. He was obviously a great go karter, but I think he really made his mark in cars. Some drivers dominate in karts but struggle when they switch to cars… it’s a weird transition.
MD: Karting is like kindergarten for motorsport. It teaches race craft and awareness, but the moment you get into cars, that’s when people start paying serious attention. You can win everything in karts, but it doesn’t mean much if you don’t adapt to cars.
BH: When did decide to give Jack’s career in motorsport a red hot crack?
JD: I wanted to move to Europe. I always had this dream of racing in Europe, especially in the Italian karting scene. I must’ve begged Dad for years.
MD: Jack kept showing me photographs of Adria, I think, saying we should go out there. He was moving up, he’d won an unofficial Australian championship of rookies – a support category in Australian championship. And I said to him, “If you win the Australian championship, we’ll go.” Sure enough, he did. So I stuck to my word. We went over, did a few races, and then went full-time the next year.
B.H.: What was the move to Monaco like?
JD: I’ve been there for about eight years now. I think I was 13 when we moved. At first, it was a huge change, but I’ve adapted. Some drivers find it lonely, I’m quite happy being on my own there. I don’t drink, I don’t party much. I just train, reset, and focus.
MD: For an Australian, it’s a long way from home. But compared to European drivers who can hop on a short flight to see family, Jack doesn’t have that luxury. He’s learned to be independent, which is a good thing in this sport.
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B.H.: Switching from Red Bull’s junior program to Alpine – looking back, was that the right move? What would’ve happened if you had stayed?
JD: 100% the right move. I definitely wouldn’t be in Formula 1 this year if I stayed – that’s just the reality. There’s a huge political game to motorsports. At the end of 2021, after my Formula 3 season where I finished second in the championship, I was looking to move up to Formula 2 for the following year and had the support by Red Bull behind me. They had a Japanese driver, Ayumu Iwasa, who finished 12th in the championship ahead of me in the pecking order. That made it clear that I wasn’t in the right place.
MD: Red Bull was great and a huge support of Jack, but there were so many drivers. Where did Jack fit in that system? Alpine, on the other hand, needed a junior driver with Oscar graduating so they approached me to see if Jack would be interested. We discussed it for the longest time – what was the best option for Jack, are Red Bull going to give him time in an F1 car? Are they going to prepare him for F1? They couldn’t offer the same as what Alpine could offer – a real plan with seat time, development, a clear path to F1. They support the young drivers really well. That’s what made the decision easy.
B.H.: Watching the Oscar Piastri contract drama unfold with Alpine, were you thinking, “This could change things for me”?
JD: To be honest, I was expecting Oscar to be in the seat. I knew that he was ahead of me in the pecking order when I joined Alpine, but I was happy to be where I was so that all unfolding was just another opportunity in the end. It’s the best thing that ever happened to him [Oscar] going to McLaren. There’s always two sides to these things. I did everything I could to position myself for the Alpine seat in 2023, and even though I lost out to Pierre Gasly, I now have my shot.
B.H.: Do you think the guard is changing in F1 with more young drivers getting a shot?
JD: Definitely. For a long time, teams were hesitant to sign young drivers. They wanted experience and a safety net. But now, with guys like Oscar proving themselves, the trust in young talent is coming back.
B.H.: How important is simulator work in your preparation?
JD: Huge. Before European races, I’d spend at least 10 hours in the sim – sometimes until 4 AM – before heading straight to the airport and then to the track. It’s intense, but it’s necessary.
B.H.: You’ve done plenty of media now. How much of that is natural, and how much is training?
JD: Dad always made sure I spoke well, but I’ve also learned a lot through experience. At Red Bull, I got a new level of media exposure. Then when I joined Alpine and started being around F1 teams more, it became even bigger. I’ve always been open to constructive criticism on how to improve in interviews.
MD: Jack grew up around media because of my career, so it’s second nature to him. But it’s definitely a different world now with social media and Netflix playing such a big role.
B.H.: How’d it feel signing the contract, and does the contract have a clearly defined #1 and #2 driver?
JD: Signing it was surreal. It was gnarly to me. It was everything that I could have ever hoped for. Dad was there with me as well, which was amazing. And I don’t know if it’s necessarily that clear cut, I know Pierre has seven years of Formula 1 experience on top of me and has more knowledge of everything, so I just want to focus on myself, try and use him where I can as well to make me faster and make me better, and then we’ll see how it goes.
B.H.: What’s the goal for your (full) rookie season?
JD: I just want to be an asset for the team. I want to be valued, I want to help with development, I want to ensure that we move forward, be a great teammate to Pierre, ensure that we’re working well together to get the most out of the car, but also out of ourselves. We’re not at the level where we can fight at the front yet, so teamwork is key. And of course, I want to perform to the best of my ability and enjoy it.
B.H.: What’s the track you’re most looking forward to driving in 2025?
JD: I’m really looking forward to driving Suzuka in an F1 car. It’s been a favourite of mine for a while. But also, Spa. That place is special.
B.H.: Finally, I have to ask about the famous Schumacher go-kart gift.
MD: [Laughs.] there’s not too much to it. We had the go-kart track for the big kids at home and then he [Michael Schumacher] had a close association with Tony Kart. We’ve known each other since, well before his kids, and Jack and his sister were born. So we were getting karts together and he organised them through Tony Kart. I think we’ve still got both of them at home. The bigger one, for Jack’s sister, was the first kart he raced in.
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