Jack Doohan has taken on a new role as test and reserve driver at Haas. After losing his full-time Alpine seat to Franco Colapinto last year, the Australian moved to the reserve bench at the French outfit. In mid-January Alpine announced it was ending its collaboration with Doohan. Until recently he appeared bound for a debut in Japan’s Super Formula, but it is now clear he will remain linked to Formula 1 via Haas.
The 23-year-old, son of five-time MotoGP champion Mick Doohan, inherited the Alpine seat from Esteban Ocon during the final race of 2024. Last year Doohan still raced six Grands Prix for the Enstone outfit before being replaced by Franco Colapinto in Imola. He subsequently accepted a test-and-reserve driver role but flirted with a switch to Super Formula at the end of the year. His test debut with Kondo Racing, however, was disappointing; across three days he crashed three times in the same corner at Suzuka.
In mid‑January Alpine already ended its collaboration with Doohan. “The team wants to thank Jack for his dedication and professionalism over the past four years, both on and off the track, and wishes him all the best for the future,” the team wrote on social media. He was the first driver to progress from the French outfit’s development programme into Formula 1.
Jack Doohan to Haas
On Tuesday it emerged that Doohan has now been handed a reserve role at Haas. During his Super Formula tests this option had already been mentioned cautiously. Through Toyota’s racing ties, Haas is linked to Kondo Racing. Doohan shares his responsibilities with the team’s regular reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa. The Australian said Haas is “the ideal place” to continue his F1 career. Team principal Ayao Komatsu, for his part, underlined the commitment that comes with the role.
“The dedication required to stay sharp and prepared for races, while at the same time learning how the team operates, is a challenge for any driver,” Komatsu said. “Especially for someone who still very much wants to race at this level.”
