ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — Jack Doohan will make his Formula One debut for Alpine next season after the team promoted him from reserve driver to teammate of Pierre Gasly on Friday.
The Australian driver will replace Esteban Ocon, who is leaving the team at the end of a disappointing year for him and Alpine so far. The team is eighth out of 10 in the constructors’ championship ahead of Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix.
Doohan, 21, son of former motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan, finished third in Formula 2 last year and will be Alpine’s full-time reserve driver in 2024.
“I am very grateful for the trust and belief of the team management,” Doohan said in a team statement.
“There is so much work ahead of us to be prepared and ready, and in the meantime I will do my best to absorb as much information and knowledge as possible to be ready for the step up.”
Renault-owned Alpine has been out of step with the times in Formula 1 all year and has already undergone numerous shake-ups in management and technical staff, including the return to an advisory role of Flavio Briatore, who led the team in the 1990s and 2000s under its previous names of Benetton and Renault.
Doohan’s promotion is Alpine’s first major announcement since 36-year-old Oliver Oakes took over as team principal last month, replacing Bruno Famin. Alpine has also hinted that it could move away from its own Renault engines in the future.
