Jack Doohan will make his Formula 1 debut earlier than expected.
The 21-year-old will officially drive for Alpine at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in place of Esteban Ocon.
Alpine have confirmed that the move to drop Ocon will allow the Frenchman to participate in post-season testing with his new team, Haas.
Doohan is already contracted to race for Alpine in 2025 but will begin life in the seat at the season-ending event.
The Sporting News takes a closer look at the Australian’s path to F1.
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It has been a speedy ascent for Doohan in the elite motorsport scene.
He competed in go-karting events until 2017 before making the move to F4, taking part in the 2018 British Championship.
His strong performances saw him promoted to the F3 Asian Championship the next year, where he finished second in the 2019/20 season.
A move to the FIA F3 Championship followed, where Doohan struggled in his maiden season.
However, a switch from HWA Racelab to Trident in 2021 paid dividends, with the Australian finishing second and earning a promotion to F2, where he raced for two full years with Virtuosi.
He finished sixth and third in the championship standings in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Across those pair of seasons in F2, Doohan recorded six race wins and 11 podiums.
Doohan stepped into the Alpine reserve driver role in 2023 as he competed in his final F2 season.
During his two years on the job, he travelled with the team to most grands prix, where he was on standby to fill in for full-time drivers Ocon or Pierre Gasly if needed.
Doohan was also involved with testing and simulation.
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He made his F1 debut in 2022 when he jumped behind the wheel for Alpine during the first practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix.
The academy talent has participated in a few more practice sessions since.
Earlier this year, Alpine announced they would part ways with Ocon, who had been with the team for five seasons.
Ocon was responsible for a crash involving teammate Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix one week earlier, although the driver and team declared the split was not in reaction to that incident.
Alpine reportedly pursued current Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz to fill their remaining slot, although the Spaniard has since signed for Williams.
They then opted for an internal hire, promoting Doohan from his role as a reserve driver to a full-time seat.
Doohan’s strong results in F2 and F3, combined with his experience as an Alpine academy driver, made him a suitable candidate.
Yes, Jack is the son of motorcycle racing legend Mick Doohan.
Mick enjoyed a successful career, claiming five consecutive 500c World Championships and picking up 54 victories in his time in the series.
Despite his father’s achievements on two wheels, Jack opted to focus on racing in four-wheeled vehicles.
In fact, he was discouraged from pursuing a career in motorcycling after an accident at a young age.