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Jack Doohan has yet to secure the Alpine Formula 1 driver’s seat for 2023. But it’s not for lack of trying.
F1’s latest start to free practice is front and center at Alpine’s junior program following the Oscar Piastri saga.
It seems that the world’s progress is due to the fact that he is the owner of the Alpine protege at the junior level. Doohan’s amazing work.
From sending Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi a message on social media to emailing Alpine’s lead engineer the first week after the summer break, Doohan worked hard to create his own end. And while Alpine may have gone for a smarter choice for its 2023 race seat in Pierre Gasly, Doohan’s performance is still good.
“The night it all broke, I didn’t owe Laurent or anything,” Doohan said.
“So I sent him a DM on Instagram — basically, this big, big, long piece that says what I think I can do as a candidate going forward.
“And he replied at 3am – I think he’s in the US or somewhere – with his number below, and we’ll talk over the next few days.
“And I think I talked to Otmar [Szafnauer] the next night was short. And every day I try to talk to as many people as I can, in every part of the Formula 1 team and in every part of the structure for the Academy.
“This is a situation, even though it’s very common, now that the seat is closed and Pierre takes it, I know I’m not going to sit here going ‘I’d like to push it, I’ll try it’.
“For six weeks, I’m doing everything I can to try to keep myself in the chair.”
Well, it didn’t live up to expectations. But it’s better.
Doohan was only ninth in Formula 2 at the F1 summer break. He took his first race win at Spa – it’s the kind of on-track message he calls Alpine off-track.
If he disappears from Alpine’s radar before August, the team will find Doohan’s worst. Impressed with his self-control and his performance, the possibility of replacing Piastri in Friday’s races did not jeopardize Alpine’s preparation for his reserve driver.
In Doohan’s words, “good things came from there”. After making it to the seniors of Alpine he sought to integrate himself into the team, he also helped with his Promotion 2 campaign.
It broke into the world just before the summer break, but has improved significantly since everything started at Alpine in early August although some circumstances prevented Doohan from changing that. to as many points as necessary.
“Ever since all of this happened I’ve been pushing every bit as hard as I can to try and secure a spot in the Grade 1,” Doohan said.
“And when we got to Spa, I talked with the team again. At that time I was ninth in Stage 2 and it wasn’t very strong going into Stage 1. And the guys said, ‘Not likely, we’ll focus on Point 2’.
“Friday morning [at Spa]I emailed the chief engineer Ciaron [Pilbeam] and I said, ‘would you mind if I sit and talk before FP1?’ And he said, ‘Yes, indeed’.
“I started from there to integrate myself into the group, and really try to understand how the weekend is going to fall into place, and try to take in as much information as I can .
“Honestly, I think when I came back to Formula 2 things were a lot easier. The information from the engine to the driver, and everything that I was carrying, was a lot less. I think thought that helped me too.
“I saw that I had a chance to go to Formula 1. So I went, ‘if I just like this, it’s going to happen, I’ll have a chance here’.
“Even before, I’m still behind Oscar, and it’s like a two-year project.”
Perhaps so, given that Doohan is heading for a second season in Formula 2. But to do so and knowing that he is still at the front of the Alpine line-up, there has been considerable concern among the management. . , and has been developed as a driver starting in 2023 as a favorite title.
From the way he handled himself during the peak of the Piastri saga, to his preparation for his FP1 debut in Mexico and his off-road performance, Doohan has earned plenty of praise in Alpine.
According to team principal Otmar Szafnauer, “Doohan did a very good job of preparation and wanted to know everything” ahead of Mexico, and sporting director Alan Permane said, Doohan looks great.
“The thing that amazes me most about Jack, honestly, is outside of the car,” says Permane.
“His preparation, his work behind the scenes. He’s never driven here, there’s no plan for him to drive here. And a few weeks ago, he was in Brisbane doing some promised F2 support, and we told him he was going to drive to Mexico.
“He flew to the UK, worked a day in the sim, then came to Austin and here.
“That’s what surprised me the most – his preparation. There is no doubt about his speed.
“He will be in Formula 1, that will be a good change for him.”
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