Racing legend Mick Doohan shares PROOF his son deserved to keep F1 seat

Jack Doohan with father Mick Doohan — Photo: © IMAGO

Alpine

Racing legend Mick Doohan shares PROOF his son deserved to keep F1 seat

Mick Doohan is a racing legend and defensive father

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 9 May 2025 13:54

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Mick Doohan, father of recently axed Formula 1 star Jack Doohan, has taken to his personal social media account to provide proof his son deserved to stay in the sport.

Mick is not just the father of a former F1 driver, he himself is a five-time 500cc motorcycle world champion and boasts an impressive legacy in the premier class of motorbike grand prix racing.

Having claimed five consecutive championships on two wheels, the 59-year-old knows a thing or two about what it takes to make it in the fiercely competitive world of motorsport, and has supported his son in achieving his dream of making it to the pinnacle of open-wheel single-seater formula racing.

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However, on May 7, 2025, it was announced that Jack Doohan would no longer race for Alpine as an F1 driver, instead being demoted back down to his role as reserve driver while Franco Colapinto was promoted to replace the Aussie star from within the team's ranks.

Should Alpine have replaced Jack Doohan?

Many in the world of F1 saw the brutal driver swap coming before the season had even begun when Alpine's executive advisor Flavio Briatore announced that the Enstone-based outfit had signed former Williams star Colapinto.

With the pressure to perform chasing Doohan already, who could blame him for starting his 2025 season on the wrong foot when he failed to finish at the opening grand prix, which also happened to be his home race.

Colapinto won't have it easy either. A curious part of Alpine's driver swap announcement was the fact that the Argentine racer was not announced as Doohan's replacement for the rest of the season. Instead, the 21-year-old is only confirmed as an Alpine driver for the next five races, with a tough deadline set for the British GP where Colapinto could be replaced if he fails to impress.

Regardless of the standards expected at Alpine, Doohan has taken to Instagram to make it known that he believes his son deserves to have kept his seat.

Mick Doohan shared a comparison of Pierre Gasly's results with his son's

In a series of telling reposts to his Instagram story, the five-time MotoGP champion compared the first six race results of Pierre Gasly from this year's campaign with the first and only six results secured by his son.

Doohan DNF'd not just at his home race in Melbourne but also last time out at the Miami Grand Prix where he failed to even complete a full lap after making contact with Liam Lawson's RB.

His team-mate Gasly has hardly had a flawless start to the season though, DNFing at the Saudi Arabian GP.

Whilst Alpine have not ruled out bringing the 22-year-old back into their F1 driver lineup should Colapinto fail to do any better, it appears unlikely after Briatore has taken up the duties of team principal following the immediate resignation of Oliver Oakes.

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Formula 1 Alpine Franco Colapinto Jack Doohan Flavio Briatore