Doohan Faces Growing Pressure at Alpine, Fearing Lawson’s Fate

Jack Doohan shows promise with improved pace in Shanghai, earning Alpine F1’s trust as he aims for critical points in upcoming races.

After a slow finish to last season in Abu Dhabi, which marked his first-ever Grand Prix, Jack Doohan has managed to reassure observers with his performances in Melbourne and Shanghai.

The Alpine F1 driver, whose seat remains uncertain, showed he was nearly matching the pace of his experienced teammate Pierre Gasly, both in race and qualifying times.

Doohan Focused on Scoring Points

In an interview with The Race, Doohan expressed satisfaction with his first two Grand Prix outings, acknowledging, however, that the real challenge lies ahead. At least he has outlasted Liam Lawson, which wasn’t guaranteed given the looming threat of Franco Colapinto.

“There are a lot of positives,” he said. “We haven’t yet achieved the result that fully reflects it, but the team understands my situation, and that’s the most important thing. The guys are really happy within the team.”

Currently, both Doohan and Alpine F1 are still without any points. The Australian recognizes the need to score soon.

“Of course, Flavio [Briatore], Ollie [Oakes, team principal], Luca [De Meo, Renault CEO], and our supporters… they’ll want points. So, when the car is up to speed, we need to make sure we’re ready to maximize it,” he said.

“But for now, it’s about continuing to work, keeping my head down, and hoping Suzuka will be a better circuit for us.”

A Crucial Setup Change?

Explaining his improved performance in Shanghai, Doohan revealed progress in car setup. A key adjustment was made to the rear suspension geometry, which helped enhance the car’s stability, improving his corner entry and, consequently, tire management.

“If we have the car in the same window, Pierre would definitely like it to be a bit more stable. That presents some challenges for me, but we found solutions on the simulator between Bahrain and Australia,” Doohan said.

“We identified small factors that weren’t purely performance-related but helped me drive better, which ultimately brings performance.”

“I can handle more instability and car movement now,” he continued. “It was about small tweaks that made a big difference compared to the issues I faced in Bahrain, related to my driving style and how I interacted with the car. I wasn’t helping myself with some techniques I used to compensate for problems, which then led to further consequences.”

“These are just minor adjustments at the rear of the car, which means I can use less steering mid-corner, I don’t need to brake as hard, and by braking less, I reduce the instability at the entry caused by engine braking.”

“Because I don’t need as much steering, I save five degrees on the front tire temperature over a long stint.”

Doohan Improves Tire Management and Cornering

“By better preserving the rear, there’s less instability due to engine braking, and since I don’t experience as much entry instability, I can rotate the car earlier, meaning I don’t need to add steering at the apex, as the car is already rotating.”

“It’s a combination that helps my entry and middle corner, with better overall tire reactions throughout the lap.”

Doohan admits that after his first Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, where he struggled with tire management, he had to make a significant step forward.

“I felt really weak in Abu Dhabi after driving exclusively on demo tires in private testing. Those tires degrade much faster than race tires,” he explained.

“So, during the race, I over-conserved, was too anxious – and that really cost me a lot of time.”

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Doohan Reassures Alpine F1 with Strong Start to Season Doohan Reassures Alpine F1 with Strong Start to Season