External pressures may have clouded Jack Doohan debuting during the Formula 1 weekend in Abu Dhabi, but Oliver Oakes, the team principal of Alpine, believes the Australian rookie demonstrated poise and potential.
Oakes shared his assessment of Doohan’s weekend and outlined the next steps in his development as Alpine eyes a promising 2025 season.
Oakes: A steady start for Doohan amid challenges on Alpine debut
Reflecting on Doohan’s performance, Oakes highlighted the young driver’s steady progress throughout the weekend when speaking after the Abu Dhabi GP.
“No, he’s done a really good job,” Oakes said. “I think, you know, I think I said it before the weekend: I felt a bit sorry for him because his debut was a little bit overshadowed by, I don’t know, different knives being put in. But I think he conducted himself brilliantly. And I think anyone who watched closely saw his rate of improvement throughout the weekend.”
Despite starting from P20, Doohan finished P15, showcasing a composed race strategy and clean execution. Oakes pointed to qualifying as a key learning moment for the rookie.
In the first runs of Q1, he was just over a tenth off teammate Pierre Gasly. Unfortunately for him, traffic problems hampered his chances to improve on the final lap.
“I think particularly qualifying as well, his first run in Q1 was really close to Pierre [Gasly],” Oakes noted. “I think he was a bit unlucky, sort of run two there with the last corner melee with a few drivers. But in the race, I think he did exactly what we needed. He kept his nose clean. He put in a good second stint there, and we dragged him on a little bit to help us there, slow the Haas down a little bit as well.”
Handling the noise and shaking off rust
Doohan’s debut came with its share of external distractions, including criticism and suggestions online that he was set up for failure by Flavio Briatore.
However, Oakes commended Doohan’s resilience in blocking out the negativity following the departure of Esteban Ocon before the final round.
“I think it was really harsh that, and I think also, I said it at the beginning of this, I really feel Jack deserves a lot of credit this weekend for blocking out all that noise and delivering a solid weekend,” Oakes stated. “It’s a testament to him really, aside from keeping his nose clean and showing a bit of speed and able to handle everything. He’s really done a really good job.”
The weekend also served as a critical opportunity for Doohan to shake off the rust after a year without racing. He had to experience the emotional and logistical demands of race weekend for the first time as an F1 driver.
“That second run in qualifying was probably a bit of a baptism of fire for him of everything you’ve got to deal with if you’re back of the queue and elbows out,” Oakes explained. “It’s more just going through the emotions of a race weekend, and I think we’ll have to see early part of next year if that helps him or not.”
Building towards 2025
Looking ahead, Oakes described a comprehensive development plan to ensure Doohan is ready for his full Alpine bow next season. He emphasised the shift from rookie status to a fully integrated driver in the team.
“I think, obviously, prior to this weekend, he was always waiting in the wings,” Oakes said. “There was a bit of a getting up-to-speed programme; make sure you’re ready to jump in. Credit to everyone because he’s managed to jump in fine and deal with everything.”
The programme includes simulator work, testing sessions, and pre-season preparations.
“He’ll obviously be busy on the simulator at the beginning of the year driving the new car,” Oakes detailed. “Then I think we have a bit of a warm-up test in an old car, and then it’s straight into pre-season. I think really I guess it’s Christmas, a bit of time off, and then he’s straight in. From my side, I think we know the first part of next year, we’ve still got to support him as a rookie and a newbie. But also, I think it’s exciting because there’s a lot of young guys on the grid next year as well.”
