Jack Doohan’s F1 debut in Abu Dhabi impressed Alpine boss Oakes, despite a subdued weekend overshadowed by external narratives.
Oliver Oakes praised Jack Doohan’s performance during his Formula 1 debut in Abu Dhabi. The Alpine F1 director emphasized that the Australian, despite not having Flavio Briatore’s full confidence, delivered what was expected during the season’s final race.
“He did a very good job,” said Oakes. “I think I mentioned before the weekend that I felt a bit sorry for him because his debut was somewhat overshadowed by other stories, but I believe he handled himself brilliantly.”
“And I think anyone watching closely could see his rate of improvement throughout the weekend. I think he performed particularly well in qualifying.”
“His first Q3 run was very close to Pierre [Gasly]. I think he was a bit unlucky on his second run, with the chaos at the final corner involving a few drivers.”
“But in the race, I think he did exactly what we needed. He stayed out of trouble. He had a strong second stint. And we kept him out a bit longer to help us strategically. He also held up the Haas for a while.”
Oakes was impressed by how Doohan handled the pressure of qualifying, particularly during a tense second run where he narrowly missed advancing to Q2.
“I think that second qualifying run was probably a bit of a baptism of fire for him, managing everything when you’re at the back and need to fight your way through. I also think he was a bit unlucky, with [Nico] Hülkenberg later penalized for overtaking both him and the other car.”
“Who knows if things would have turned out differently. But I think it’s about experiencing the emotions of a race weekend. We’ll see at the start of next year whether this experience helps him.”
“I truly believe Jack deserves a lot of credit this weekend for blocking out all the noise and delivering a solid performance. It’s really a testament to him. Beyond keeping his nose clean, showing some speed, and handling everything, he did a very good job.”
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Oakes Lauds Doohan’s Composed F1 Entry Performance Oakes Lauds Doohan’s Composed F1 Entry Performance
