Jack Doohan and his renowned father Mick exude confidence, publicly and behind the scenes, that the 22-year-old rookie will still be behind the wheel of an Alpine come the close of the 2025 season.
Even before the lights went out in Melbourne, where Doohan crashed on the first lap of his full Formula 1 debut, doubts shadowed his future.
Alpine adviser Flavio Briatore has turned up the heat to boiling point, hinting that Doohan's race seat isn't secure with the highly touted Franco Colapinto, on an expensive loan from Williams, poised in reserve.
"It's really hard for him," former F1 driver Martin Brundle told Britain's Sky.
"I saw a picture with four drivers - Pierre Gasly, him, Franco Colapinto and Paul Aron. If I were Jack, I'd think 'This should be a two-driver shoot, not a four-driver shoot'."
If Doohan felt the crushing weight of expectation, it might have played a part in his opening-lap shunt on home turf last Sunday.
He shared what his father, MotoGP icon Mick Doohan, said to him back in the paddock post-crash.
"He came from behind and I think he said 'That white line, what a bastard'," Doohan grinned. "I couldn't possibly have someone better around me who's been through that - who's been through tough times and bounced back," he told Speed Week.
Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes admitted the tricky spot Doohan's been thrust into so early on.
"I think it's fair to say we've caused a lot of the noise," he said. "You know, by being open, I think that we haven't put him in the best position.
"But I also think, to flip it the other way, we've got a duty as a team to perform. We've got 900 people who depend on us to make the right choice for the team," Oakes added.
Behind closed doors, though, the Doohan camp seems to be taking it in stride.
"Talking to Mick, he's calm behind the scenes," Brundle, a long-time acquaintance of Jack's famous dad, disclosed. "Jack has been reassured that he has a contract.
"But you still don't want this on your mind - I've been there, and it's tough. You're constantly thinking about your career because it might end at any moment. Then the car starts sliding, and you get nervous because you don't want to crash. It just adds pressure."
Even so, Jack is pushing back against claims he's only locked in for the first five or six races.
"There's no point thinking about rumours or commenting on them," he said. "But I have a contract for at least this year, if not more. So I look forward to many home grands prix."
On the uncertainty, Doohan added: "I don't bother worrying about them. I think I have to perform each and every time I'm in the car." body check tags ::
