After making his Formula 1 debut, Jack Doohan has undertaken a full day of testing for Alpine ahead of the upcoming winter break.
The 2024 post-season test in Abu Dhabi is the perfect opportunity for teams to get a better idea of how their young drivers fare in a Formula 1 car.
It’s also being used to test next season’s Pirelli tyres, meaning Jack Doohan and new reserve driver Paul Aron have been able to get plenty of laps under their belts.
Just over two weeks ago, few F1 fans would have expected Doohan to already be a Formula 1 driver.
The Australian has been a diligent reserve and simulator driver this year, with Pierre Gasly paying tribute to Doohan’s testing contributions on several occasions this season.
However, after Esteban Ocon’s first-lap exit from the Qatar Grand Prix, it quickly became clear that he would be stepping aside for Doohan after of the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Ocon has been testing for Haas on Tuesday but will be keeping one eye on how his old team fare to work out whethe he’s made the right decision swapping manufacturers for 2025.
Alpine are now already taking the opportunity to get Doohan as prepared as possible for next season by going the extra mile during testing.
Alpine running full pit stop routines during Abu Dhabi post-season testing with Jack Doohan
All ten teams were trying to complete as much running as possible with Liam Lawson setting the record by managing 160 laps of the circuit, while Charles Leclerc topped the time sheets with a 1:23.510.
Without knowing engine modes or tyre data – which remains private, especially the drivers taking part in Pirelli’s 2025 test – the lap times mean very little.
However, there are plenty of small details that were interesting to pick up during the session.
A report from Speedcafe during Tuesday’s running highlighted the lengths they’re going to in order to prepare for next year.
READ MORE: Who is Alpine F1 driver Jack Doohan? All to know from his girlfriend to dad
During the first half of the session, they wrote: “In pit lane earlier, Alpine was running through a full pit stop routine every time a car came in. Good practice for the team, good practice for Doohan.
“There were no issues during Sunday’s race from the Aussie, but a little extra practice is never going to hurt.”
McLaren were also showing off Constructors’ Championship win with a new addition to their garage.
Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg were all spotted in plain overalls despite running for their respective new teams during the session.
Jack Doohan matches Paul Aron during Abu Dhabi post-season testing
It shows the lack of running within the Alpine ranks beyond Gasly that Doohan was the experienced driver on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi.
The Australian was joined by Alpine’s new reserve driver Aron fresh from a very strong campaign in Formula 2 this year.
He finished third in the championship for team principal Oliver Oakes’ old team Hitech and was mathematically in contention to catch Gabriel Bortoleto going into the season finale.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage
The pair managed 258 laps between them, with Doohan marginally coming out ahead of Aron.
His 1:24.268 was seven-thousandths quicker than the young Estonian.
To compare, Doohan fastest time in qualifying on Saturday was a 1:24.105, so he got very close to that time, although the context of his quickest run during testing is unknown.
Doohan will have to settle for time in the simulator now before getting to step back into an F1 car during pre-season testing in February.
