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IMAGES JEP/MOTORSPORT Doohan gets his F1 chance with Alpine for 2025 FORMULA 1 Alpine has finally confirmed that Jack Doohan will race for its Formula 1 team in 2025. The French manufacturer has been evaluating options for a replacement for the Haasbound Esteban Ocon for several months. And with its efforts to lure Carlos Sainz on board having failed, it has elected to hand its young driver Doohan the opportunity to partner Pierre Gasly. Doohan, who has acted as reserve for the past two seasons, will be the first Alpine Academy driver to step up to a race seat with the F1 squad. “I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with Alpine,” said the 21-year-old. “I am very grateful for the trust and belief by the team’s management. There is so much work ahead to be prepared and I will give my best in the meantime to absorb as much information and knowledge to be ready.” New Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes said: “I worked with Jack back in 2019 and I am fully aware of his raw talent and potential. He is a very hard worker behind the scenes and his commitment is hugely valued by the team.” Doohan, son of five-time 500cc motorcycling world champion Mick (with Jack, above), has achieved success on the junior single-seater ladder. He was runner-up in the 2021 F3 championship and finished third overall in F2 in 2023. JON NOBLE Schumacher and Lawson in Williams frame FORMULA 1 Mick Schumacher and Liam Lawson have emerged as leading contenders for Williams if the Grove-based squad elects to make an imminent driver change. Williams team boss James Vowles is understood to be evaluating his options in the wake of another big accident for Logan Sargeant at Zandvoort last weekend. The American crashed heavily in Saturday morning’s wet final free practice session and missed qualifying as a result. It is understood that Vowles has sounded out rival team bosses over options to partner Alex Albon for the rest of the season. One option is Schumacher, who is reserve driver for Mercedes, whose engines Williams run. Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said he would like to see Schumacher get another opportunity in F1. “I would very much hope that Mick gets the chance because we haven’t seen the real Mick,” he said. “The opportunity with Williams is something that we would be cheering for. But this is James Vowles’s decision.” Big Zandvoort crash has put Sargeant under more pressure IMAGES GALLOWAY/MOTORSPORT When asked if Red Bull reserve driver Lawson was available, team boss Christian Horner replied: “If they needed a driver next weekend, we’d certainly be open to that. It would depend on which terms and if we needed him back that we could have him back quite quickly.” JON NOBLE 29 AUGUST 2024 AUTOSPORT.COM 5

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JEP/MOTORSPORT

Doohan gets his F1 chance with Alpine for 2025

FORMULA 1 Alpine has finally confirmed that Jack Doohan will race for its Formula 1 team in 2025.

The French manufacturer has been evaluating options for a replacement for the Haasbound Esteban Ocon for several months. And with its efforts to lure Carlos Sainz on board having failed, it has elected to hand its young driver Doohan the opportunity to partner Pierre Gasly.

Doohan, who has acted as reserve for the past two seasons, will be the first Alpine Academy driver to step up to a race seat with the F1 squad. “I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with Alpine,” said the 21-year-old. “I am very grateful for the trust and belief by the team’s management. There is so much work ahead to be prepared and I will give my best in the meantime to absorb as much information and knowledge to be ready.”

New Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes said: “I worked with Jack back in 2019 and I am fully aware of his raw talent and potential. He is a very hard worker behind the scenes and his commitment is hugely valued by the team.”

Doohan, son of five-time 500cc motorcycling world champion Mick (with Jack, above), has achieved success on the junior single-seater ladder. He was runner-up in the 2021 F3 championship and finished third overall in F2 in 2023. JON NOBLE

Schumacher and Lawson in Williams frame

FORMULA 1 Mick Schumacher and Liam Lawson have emerged as leading contenders for Williams if the Grove-based squad elects to make an imminent driver change.

Williams team boss James Vowles is understood to be evaluating his options in the wake of another big accident for Logan Sargeant at Zandvoort last weekend. The American crashed heavily in Saturday morning’s wet final free practice session and missed qualifying as a result.

It is understood that Vowles has sounded out rival team bosses over options to partner Alex Albon for the rest of the season. One option is Schumacher, who is reserve driver for Mercedes, whose engines Williams run.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said he would like to see Schumacher get another opportunity in F1. “I would very much hope that Mick gets the chance because we haven’t seen the real Mick,” he said. “The opportunity with Williams is something that we would be cheering for. But this is James Vowles’s decision.”

Big Zandvoort crash has put Sargeant under more pressure

IMAGES

GALLOWAY/MOTORSPORT

When asked if Red Bull reserve driver Lawson was available, team boss Christian Horner replied: “If they needed a driver next weekend, we’d certainly be open to that. It would depend on which terms and if we needed him back that we could have him back quite quickly.” JON NOBLE

29 AUGUST 2024 AUTOSPORT.COM 5

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