Alpine has promoted Jack Doohan to the F1 grid for 2025

Alpine has confirmed that its second seat alongside Pierre Gasly will be filled by reserve driver Jack Doohan in 2025.

And if that name rings a bell for you, it should: the 21-year-old is the son of Mick Doohan… yep, the five-time 500cc world champion who dominated two-wheel racing towards the end of the Nineties.

Jack has always been destined for four wheels though, having risen through karting, British F4, Formula 3 (where he was runner-up in 2021) and Formula 2, in which he finished third in the standings last year.

Doohan has been Alpine’s reserve driver since the start of 2023, and he’s appeared in a handful of free practice sessions for the team over the years as well as racking up many hours (well, probably days or even weeks at this point) in the simulator.

The Australian - who’ll be the third Aussie on the grid if Daniel Ricciardo clings onto his spot next year - fills in the vacant seat left behind by Esteban Ocon, whose relationship with the team had become reportedly strained before his move to Haas for 2025 was announced.

“I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with BWT Alpine F1 Team,” said Doohan. “I am very grateful for the trust and belief by the team’s senior management. There is so much work ahead to be prepared and ready and I will give my best in the meantime to absorb as much information and knowledge to be ready for the step up.

“It’s exceptionally satisfying to be the first graduate of the Alpine Academy to be in a race seat with the team and I’m extremely thankful to those who supported me along the way to make this a reality. It's an exciting moment, a proud day for my family, and I look forward to taking it all in and pushing hard behind the scenes.”

And new team principal Oliver Oakes added: “We are very excited to promote Jack into the race seat from next season and, in doing so, giving him the opportunity to showcase his skill and talent in Formula 1. Personally, I have worked with Jack back in 2019 and I am fully aware of his raw talent and potential.”

Doohan will have more test time in Alpine’s 2022 car this year to give him the best possible chance of hitting the ground running.

There’s no mention of how long his contract is though, so it’s reasonable to assume that he’ll only have a year to prove he’s got what it takes.

It's unlikely he was the team's first choice: Alpine reportedly tried to hijack Williams's signing of Carlos Sainz, with the Spaniard (at least temporarily) tempted by the prospect of the team getting an engine deal with Mercedes, instead of making its own.

That could put Alpine in a much more competitive position when new regs come into force in 2026, but it still lacks stability in the background having fired team boss Bruno Famin after only a year in charge a few weeks ago. This followed the controversial hiring of Flavio Briatore - who was in charge of the team (then called Renault) during the Crashgate scandal - as an advisor.

Best of luck Jack, everyone's rooting for you.