While Doohan knew that his performances on track, at the factory and with the team trackside were what mattered, he also realised the importance of staying relevant and plugged in to the sport. F1 moves so quickly, it’s easy to be forgotten when you drop off the radar.
Doohan has been patient and bided his time. Had Sainz joined, it could have been the end of his hopes of ever getting a race seat, as he would potentially be facing a third year as a reserve. But instead, the stars have aligned and he’s got his chance.
He should settle in quickly, having spent a lot of time with the team and done a significant amount of running in F1 machinery. He knows new team boss Oli Oakes, having raced for his Hitech team in Asian F3 in 2019 – so that should help the integration, especially as Oakes has experience working with young drivers.
The first race of 2025 – which will be his home Grand Prix – can’t come soon enough for him.
HALF TERM REPORT: Alpine – Another topsy-turvy year, but are the building blocks to stability finally in place?
Alpine choose youth as they regroup
Alpine are in the midst of a rebuild phase after a tumultuous 18 months that has seen them lose nearly all of their senior management across the leadership, technical and sporting teams. They started the year off by locking out the back row before fighting their way back into the midfield.
However, the relentless changes in staffing combined with difficult performance on track plus the uncertainty of their future engine supply (Alpine are assessing the possibility of closing down their power unit division and taking customer Mercedes engines from 2026) has made it tricky to attract experienced drivers.
