Jack Doohan has admitted he was more nervous about his Formula 1 debut when it was announced than before actually driving the Alpine. Doohan, the son of motorcycling legend Mick, and current Formula 2 racer was given a first taste of contemporary F1 machinery in Mexico driving Esteban Ocon's car, as Alpine fulfilled the first of their mandatory rookie FP1 sessions. The Australian, who will replace Fernando Alonso in Abu Dhabi's FP1, was looked over for a potential 2023 race seat in favour of Pierre Gasly and will instead spend the year challenging for the F2 title. Speaking after completing 13 laps of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Doohan gave an insight into his maiden outing in an F1 weekend.
Doohan on nerves
"It was really cool and there's been quite a bit of preparation leading up to this," he explained to media, including RacingNews365.com. "I've been preparing and trying to make my way into paddock since the news broke at the start of August and I've been aiming towards this. "The nerves that I'd say are usually there jumping from Formula 2 to Formula 1 - and that being such a big thing - were I'd say a little less, just because I am trying to put myself into a position where this is where I want to be - I want to be driving in Formula 1. "I'd say there were more nerves four weeks ago than there were today. "Obviously, when I hopped in the car, and I was pulling out of the garage, there was a lot of excitement, a lot of joy and heaps of emotions going on. "Once I was out on track, that really kind of flushed away and it was really hard to describe what I was feeling, but it was a really cool sensation."
Szafnauer on Doohan
Doohan's Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer was complimentary about the Australian's efforts in the car. "He is a very solid young man, and I think very quick," Szafnauer explained. "He showed in the 13 laps that he got up to speed very quickly, but we told him beforehand, just drive within yourself. "Don't go 'ten tenths', and he didn't. "You saw that he was driving within himself which was exactly what we asked for. "His preparation was exemplary going in and he wanted to know everything. He is a good kid."
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