Jack Doohan’s past year in Formula 1 has been a dramatic swing — from the thrill of being promoted into a full-time seat to Alpine, to the disappointment of losing that race role after just seven grands prix and ultimately leaving the team. In 2026 he’s reset his F1 career by joining Haas as a reserve driver, aiming to rebuild momentum and contribute positively from the paddock.
A turbulent season
A year ago Doohan was preparing to race full-time with Alpine for 2025 following his debut in Abu Dhabi. That stint lasted only seven races — roughly five months in the spotlight — finishing at the Miami Grand Prix. Franco Colapinto then took over, talks of Doohan’s return faded, and he formally exited Alpine in January 2026.
In February he announced a move to Haas as reserve, a role that keeps him close to the action and available should a seat open. After the Bahrain pre-season test he described the switch as a welcome fresh start, praising the reception from engineers, mechanics and teammates and noting how refreshing it felt to join a new environment.
Processing what happened at Alpine
Doohan has been candid about how difficult his time at Alpine was. He pointed to persistent speculation over his future, a run of heavy accidents, intense public scrutiny amplified by Drive to Survive, and even threats that accompanied calls for Colapinto’s promotion. The lingering uncertainty from late 2024 into 2025 made the experience especially hard.
He said the situation robbed him of the runway he expected to develop as an F1 driver, making it tough to extract performance while knowing his time was limited. Still, Doohan views the period as an education in handling pressure: he believes the lessons learned will help him cope better in future opportunities.
A new role at Haas and team priorities
At Haas his immediate job is clear — support race drivers Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman and help the team improve. Doohan won’t assume Haas is a guaranteed route back to a race seat; he hopes the current drivers progress and potentially open a pathway, but he’s not counting on it.
Instead he’s focused on doing useful work: building strong working relationships with engineers and mechanics, contributing feedback on the car, and integrating personally with the team. If a chance to race arises, he’ll take it, but for now his priority is being a positive and dependable team member.
Staying race-ready
Doohan plans to stay sharp behind the wheel. Testing previous cars is on the agenda in the coming months, and he’s exploring a parallel racing programme to keep race fitness after limited competitive outings in recent seasons. He’s particularly eyeing endurance options such as ELMS and an LMP2 entry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as realistic ways to get seat time.
A quieter chapter ahead
Having resolved contractual and clearance matters with Alpine, Doohan hopes the noise around his exit — and the profile from TV coverage — will subside now that he’s at Haas. He says his aim is simple: to get back to enjoying racing, feel at home in the paddock again, and keep progressing toward a return to F1 competition.