Australian young gun Jack Doohan has been named Alpine’s official reserve driver for the 2023 Formula One season.
“We have a new reserve driver,” Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer said at the team’s season launch on Friday (AEDT).
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“Although he can’t be with us here tonight because he’s in Bahrain, getting ready for the F2 Championship where he should be, testing, but we would like to announce to all of our Australian friends here and others that Jack Doohan will be our Reserve Driver for 2023.”
Doohan drives for Virtuosi Racing in Formula 2 but is part of Alpine’s junior academy and last year drove an F1 car as part of his development program.
He will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow Australian Oscar Piastri, who progressed through Alpine’s junior ranks before joining the grid, albeit for a different team in McLaren.
Doohan will be back-up to Alpine’s all-French pairing of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, which will require a more rigorous schedule of travelling to 23 F1 races.
He will be one of two Australians keeping F1 seats warm in 2023, with Daniel Ricciardo to share Red Bull reserve driver duties with Kiwi youngster Liam Lawson after being sacked by McLaren.
Doohan is the son of five-time MotoGP world champion Mick Doohan and counts F1 legend Michael Schumacher as a childhood mentor.
The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakout Formula 2 season last year, claiming three victories.
Doohan endured horror luck in the back half of the season as several crashes ruined his chances of a late run for the championship, but he will be a favourite for the F2 title in his second season this year.
The 14-round Formula 2 season, which runs alongside the F1 season, begins in Bahrain in March.
Story Credit: news.com.au