Getting to know the real Jack Doohan

F1’s latest debutant, Jack Doohan, is the final driver to face our Getting to Know quickfire question series in 2024. From tales of growing up in Australia to his best friend on the current F1 grid, and the support of motorcycle world champion father Mick to his connection with Kimi Raikkonen, the Alpine man reveals all in the video player above and transcript below…

Can you describe yourself in three words?

I would say athletic – I’m really into my sport a lot. I’d like to say funny! And focused.

What made you fall in love with F1?

Since I can remember I’ve loved motorsport – two wheels and four wheels. I ventured down [the route of] four wheels rather than two. Anything that I do, and that I would have done, I know that I would want to do it properly and get to the peak, the ultimate and basically the top of that sport. F1 is that for four wheels for us. Just having that passion, being surrounded by motorsport since I was a young, young kid, being around famous people and heroes of our sport as well… Michael Schumacher from a little boy, seeing what he achieved and what’s possible in this sport, the highs, the lows – it’s something that I dream of and I’m about to embrace.

When and where did you first drive something?

I first drove I think on Christmas... I was maybe two years old, three, and Michael Schumacher gave me and my sister two go-karts for Christmas, so I think that was my first memory.

ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 25: Jack Doohan of Australia and Alpine F1 looks on in the Paddock — Doohan finished third in F3 and second in F2 on his way up the single-seater ladder

What did your father Mick say when you ultimately chose four wheels over two?

He never said anything, really! I’m sure inside he was very happy that I was on a much safer route. Although there’s dangers [with] everything, if I make a mistake in the car I can luckily save it, and if I lock up I can manage to get out of it, [but] if I lock up a front wheel on a motorbike it’s not going to be the same outcome. He never really said anything, but he’s just been so supportive in whatever I would have done.

There’s a lot of pressure on this next question… How many times did it take you to pass your driving test?

In Australia, one and one. The theory first time, the practical first time. For my Monaco driver licence, I think it took me three times on the theory! It’s not just a simple English test, it’s a French test that uses Google Translate to English, so the English words are not like what we would normally use at all. It was super difficult! But the practical I passed first time, luckily. At least the driving part was okay!

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What’s the best thing about growing up in Australia?

The weather, first and foremost! We’re very lucky. We don’t get a snowy Christmas or a winter Christmas, so it’s something that’s strange to us as Aussies. We always think of Christmas at the beach, the sun, 30-degree weather. I think we have a lot of opportunities in Australia with sport; with it being so warm, there’s not a time of the year or particular moment where we’re limited to a sport or to a discipline or whatever we can do – we have so much to offer. Our education is amazing, very wide, very broad. I couldn’t have really chosen a better country if I could now change my nationality and choose anything different.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 07: Jack Doohan of Australia driving the (61) Alpine F1 — After plenty of testing, he made his F1 race debut at the recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Some iconic TV shows from Australia as well… Were you a Home and Away or a Neighbours person?

I was Home and Away as a kid, yeah, in Primary School! I don’t know… Those are the things that you just one day watch for the last time and you never think about it ever again, so it’s quite weird to think back!

Who’s your best friend inside the F1 paddock?

I would say Liam Lawson. Mutual interests, chat… It sounds weird, but outside of F1 we both don’t just enjoy road cars for the aesthetic or the visual or even the materialistic side, but actually the performance, the tuning, getting into cars rather than just, ‘Oh, I have a high-performance vehicle’. Also, in terms of gaming, esports, simulator, but other [things]. And we’re from the same part of the world; we’re quite far away from everyone else!

Who would be part of your all-time F1 dream team? So that’s two drivers and a team boss...

Umm... Difficult question! My two idols are Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna, and I’d put Flavio Briatore as the team boss.

If you could form an F1 band, who would be in it?

Well, Liam sings and [plays the] guitar, so he can be the singer and guitarist. Charles [Leclerc] for piano. I can play the drums, so I can be the drummer, I guess. I don’t know who the other positions [would be], but that’s a solid three there!

Jack Doohan demos vintage Benetton F1 car at Albert Park alongside father Mick

I was going to ask how your voice is… Some big musical talents from Australia as well…

Let’s leave it there! Let’s leave it there, for sure. Let’s not get into singing…

What’s your ultimate meal? That’s a starter, main, dessert and drink…

Well, I’d want the starter to still be like a main meal, so I’d just want to have two mains! Ultimately, without the weirdness of mixing cuisines or anything like that, just straight maximising one meal… I’d do sushi to start, so crispy rice with some tuna tartare on top, soy sauce, some other assortments of maki rolls. Then, for a main, I’m going to go for a basic penne pomodoro, maybe with a calzone or a pizza on the side. Then, for a dessert, I reckon like a sticky date pudding, a chocolate lava cake, and fruit at the end to make me not feel bad! I’m ending on some health.

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What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Umm… I don’t think it’s necessarily like advice on how to do something, but for me, no matter where I get to or where I’ve even got to, it’s super important and something I always want to do to keep my feet firmly on the ground. It’s very easy in this world and also in the high-performance world, not even just when you’re in the spotlight, for things to get away from you. My dad has always been very firmly on my case [since I was] a kid of just making sure I stay super humble, feet on the ground and never change. It’s something that I value very much, especially when I see other high-class people, famous celebrities, and they’re just another regular – as we say in Australia – Joe Blow. You wouldn’t tell the difference, so that’s super important for me.

Doohan will partner Pierre Gasly full-time in 2025, taking over Esteban Ocon’s seat

What’s the strangest gift you’ve ever been given by a fan?

I couldn’t think of one strangest gift… The strangest thing is [when] I signed a lady’s arm and the next day she got it tattooed, so that was pretty brave! That’s going to be there forever, so a dedicated fan – very, very nice!

Which other job do you wish you could try for a day? We’ve had all sorts… Zookeepers, astronauts…

Ooh, astronaut would be cool!

Can you talk us through your car number choice of #7 for 2025? There’s a story involving one of your idols, Kimi Raikkonen… Plus it’s a number you’ve previously raced with…

Yes, exactly… It’s always great to carry over a number that you’ve used from your junior career. Whether or not it aligns, most of the numbers that I’ve used as a kid in karting, my first year in Formula 4, they’re all currently taken on the grid. Seven, luckily, was a number not taken – Kimi’s no longer here. That obviously can relate to luck, a number that I raced in 2019. I’m also a big [fan of] single digit numbers. Number four would have been my ideal [choice], something that my father won his first world championship with in 1994, a number that I raced with in 2021, but seven is just as good and I look forward to creating some good memories behind it.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 10: Jack Doohan of Australia and Alpine F1 prepares to — Doohan has a connection with two F1 legends in Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the sport?

The biggest thing, which I was very lucky enough to experience… My whole karting [career] in Australia, until I was 13 years old, for sure it was serious, but it was still also super fun. I was able to enjoy it a lot, just being a kid, playing with the other kids at the track, whether it’s between sessions, just making sure that I was enjoying it. My dad did such a good job at making sure I was focusing at the right times and knowing when the time was to work and to play. It was just making the most of being a child, enjoying it, going through the process, learning [through] the difficult times. It’s not easy to be perfect straight away.

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Where do you want to be in five years’ time?

I would like to be still here in F1, with Alpine, fighting for race wins, podiums and world championships.

Sounds like a good plan…

A great plan!