Doohan departed without a seat following a setback in Super Formula.

      Jack Doohan's ambitions to revive his career with a race program in 2026 have faced another setback, with reports from Japan revealing that the Australian driver has missed out on a Super Formula seat after a challenging test. Following the loss of his Formula 1 position with Alpine midway through the last season, there had been strong expectations that Doohan would transition to Japan's Super Formula championship in 2026. He participated in a test with Kondo Racing, a Toyota-affiliated team, and was seen as a promising candidate for a full-time position.

      However, Dutch publication Formule 1 reports that the agreement fell apart at the last moment. Kondo Racing announced last week that Ukyo Sasahara had been signed, while the second seat will go to Williams reserve driver Luke Browning, leaving Doohan without a spot. The report indicated that the 23-year-old's situation was complicated by a difficult test at Suzuka in December, where he crashed three times within three days. Although these incidents were costly, they were not deemed the key reason for the breakdown, as negotiations faltered over the budget expectations Doohan was supposed to meet for the program.

      This news adds to an already tough year for Doohan, who competed in seven Grand Prix for Alpine before being replaced by Franco Colapinto early in 2025. In mid-January, the Enstone-based team officially confirmed the termination of its relationship with the Australian driver. "BWT Alpine Formula One Team confirms it has reached a mutual agreement with Jack Doohan to not continue his driving services with the team for the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship season and allow him to pursue other career opportunities," the team stated.

      Doohan had also been loosely connected to a reserve position at Haas, amid the American team's growing technical partnership with Toyota. While further details on that possibility have not surfaced, an official announcement is anticipated soon.

      Update: Haas F1 has signed Jack Doohan to a Reserve Role

      TGR Haas F1 Team is excited to announce the signing of Jack Doohan as an Official Reserve Driver for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The 23-year-old Australian joins the American team after competing with Alpine in six races during the 2025 season, beginning with the Australian Grand Prix and continuing through the Miami Grand Prix, before serving as a reserve driver for the remainder of the championship.

      Doohan made his Formula 1 race debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after being Alpine’s reserve driver through the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The Queensland driver was previously part of the team’s academy program and had taken part in multiple FP1 sessions and TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) outings before being promoted to a race seat.

      As the son of five-time MotoGP World Champion Mick Doohan, he enjoyed a remarkable junior career, finishing as the runner-up in the FIA Formula 3 series in 2021, along with several race wins and achieving third in the standings of the FIA Formula 2 series in 2023.

      TGR Haas F1 Team will now feature two drivers in the reserve role, with Doohan joining Japan’s Ryō Hirakawa – who has been with the team since April 2025 and has completed various TPC tests and FP1 sessions while also handling full-time sports car duties for TGR in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

      "I’m thrilled to be joining TGR Haas F1 Team," Jack Doohan remarked. "It’s the perfect place to continue my Formula 1 journey. I'm grateful to the team for offering me the chance to grow and tackle the exciting challenge of 2026 together. I’m looking forward to starting work with the team and striving for a successful season."

      “I’m very excited to have Jack on the team given his impressive racing background and reserve driver experience in Formula 1,” shared Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal of TGR Haas F1 Team. “The commitment to stay prepared and ready to race while learning how the team operates is challenging for any driver, especially one eager to compete at this level again. I've enjoyed getting to know Jack, and we anticipate benefiting from his contributions as he joins us.”

      TGR Haas F1 Team is set to head to the Bahrain International Circuit next for two official tests on February 11-13 and 18-20, followed by the opening round of the 24-race 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8.