Mick Doohan criticizes Alpine regarding his son Jack's departure from F1.
"I believe it was unjust."
MotoGP icon Mick Doohan has criticized Alpine for the manner in which his son Jack's Formula 1 career has developed, labeling the situation as "unjust." While speaking to Marca in Barcelona, where Jack Doohan kicked off his 2026 European Le Mans Series season, the five-time 500cc world champion expressed his thoughts candidly, despite recognizing the delicate nature of the topic. "I really can’t comment on that. But I think it was unfair," Doohan stated. "It was from the beginning. They opted to replace a driver even before the season commenced. And, essentially, that was that. My son had a long-term contract - he was the first junior driver for Alpine. It was apparent, for reasons I cannot disclose, that a different path was chosen. And that's all there is to it."
Doohan’s remarks arise as his son is in the process of reviving his career after losing his Alpine seat to Franco Colapinto in early 2025. Jack Doohan is currently a reserve driver for Haas while also competing in the European Le Mans Series with Nielsen Racing. "Look, Jack is a resilient young man, and his plan is... he’s racing now, in Barcelona, with a racing car," Mick continued. "He’s with Haas as a reserve driver, aiming to secure a seat, potentially with a team that’s more dedicated to honoring contracts."
On his part, the 23-year-old has not ruled out the possibility of pursuing a career in sports cars. "I’m definitely not dismissing the idea of focusing on a career in sports cars. There are some fantastic opportunities there," Jack Doohan shared. "However, to be honest, Formula 1 is my ultimate goal, and right now I still have a solid chance, not just some hope. I have the chance to fight my way back. But if that were not the case, then concentrating on sports cars would be a wise option - you can build an impressive career there."
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