The departure of Fernando Alonso from Alpine caused a whole wave of rumors about who would fill that vacant seat at Alpine. The main and obvious candidate was Oscar Piastri , who was officially announced just a few hours after the Spaniard confirmed his departure from Enstone for Aston Martin.
However, the young Australian denied what was published by the French team and explained that he had no current commitment to the Formula 1 team, since his contract was with the French academy. In addition, last season’s F2 winner enjoys a deal with McLaren that would see him be behind the wheel of a Woking car in 2023 , although a legal resolution has yet to be reached following this week’s Board of Recognition meeting. of FIA Contracts.
For this reason, the question of who will accompany Esteban Ocon in Alpine opens up, and despite the fact that Daniel Ricciardo, after agreeing to terminate his agreement with McLaren, was the top favorite, a third Australian appears in the equation.
Without making much noise, but with great performances, the son of motorcycle legend Jack Doohan could be the cover to move up to the top class on four wheels to continue the successful legacy of his father Mick .
Born in January 2003, the one from Gold Coast belongs to the Alpine academy after being associated with the Red Bull youth academy from 2018 to 2021, he has been reaping better results in Formula 3 as he gained experience.
The runner-up with Trident , with four victories included and a debut in F2 with a fifth position, earned him to jump Virtuosi in 2022 for the prelude to the Great Circus. However, circumstances have made him a possible candidate for the Alpine driver, with a current fifth position with 121 points and a weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, key due to the course of the controversy with Piastri, almost complete.
After his performance in Belgium, the 19-year -old Australian received the words “see you in Formula 1” over the radio from his engineer, which opens up a sea of doubts about his candidacy. The second place and the victory in the feature race on the legendary Belgian track give wings to his options to continue the legacy left by his father, although changing motorcycles for cars.
It will be necessary to wait until the resolution of the FIA with the contract of his compatriot, but Doohan has already presented his credentials to Alpine, who came to congratulate him after his victory on Sunday. The son of the five-time motorcycling world champion is one of the possibilities for the Enstone team to get on the A522 in the mandatory free practice sessions that a rookie must do in 2022, although he remains cautious.
“If the opportunity arises, it would be amazing,” Doohan told Speedcafe.com . “I don’t know what can happen, I have a lot of work to do for the rest of the year to make sure I can finish as high as possible in the championship.”
Time will tell if the Australian occupies the vacant seat left by Fernando Alonso , and although his options are few, he has left his letter of introduction with good performances in Formula 2.
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