F1 2022: Australian driver Jack Doohan eyes Formula one future after debut at Mexico Grand Prix

One of Australia’s rising motorsport stars has revealed the devastation in pit lane about Daniel Ricciardo’s career being at a crossroads.

Australian driver made his F1 debut during practice at the Mexico Grand Prix

Australian Formula 1 hopeful Jack Doohan has revealed Michael Schumacher’s key involvement in getting him into the sport and lamented Daniel Ricciardo’s looming exit after a disappointing 2022 campaign.

Alpine Academy driver Doohan, 19, sat in for Esteban Ocon in FP1 at the Mexico Grand Prix on Saturday morning as the son of legendary MotoGP champion Mick Doohan inched closer to making his Formula 1 dreams a reality.

It was the first of two practice runs for Doohan as the year draws to a close, with the Australian putting himself in the frame to replace countryman Oscar Piastri as Alpine’s reserve driver for the 2023 season.

Should Doohan’s rise through the ranks continue at the same pace he could well find himself in a Formula 1 seat in the next few years.

Jack Doohan sat in for Esteban Ocon during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Picture: Getty Images

If so, he would join Piastri – who has replaced Ricciardo at McLaren for 2023 – on the Formula 1 grid, making it multiple Aussies in the top-flight for the first time since Webber and Ricciardo shared the track a decade ago.

Whether or not Ricciardo will be there alongside them remains to be seen but Doohan told Sky Sports F1 he would be disappointed not to see the eight-time race winner in a starting seat beyond this season.

“There’s a lot of sadness for Daniel. He’s been the sole Australian on the grid for many years now since Mark left,” Doohan said.

“A lot of people are devastated. They’re really behind Daniel, his character inside and outside the car and the enthusiasm he brings to the paddock and the fans is really good for our sport.

“Hopefully (Ricciardo’s time off) is for the right reasons and he can come back in a year or two and it will be for the better.”

Jack Doohan with his father, legendary MotoGP champion Mick Doohan.

As Doohan eyes a future in Formula 1 he revealed why he chose four wheels instead of the two that carried his father to five MotoGP world championships – a broken leg and the legendary Michael Schumacher.

“I broke my leg when I was five riding bikes – I think that scared me,” Doohan said.

“So I kind of stepped aside from the bike and went towards four wheels for a couple of years because one of my buddies was driving a kart. I’d had a kart luckily gifted to me by Michael Schumacher because he and dad were quite close friends, they were neighbours in Monaco.

“He came one time to our home in Australia and we had a kart track there so he gifted myself and my sister a go-kart for I think … my third birthday, it was quite cool.

“Once I was seven I got back on the four wheels and I’m quite thankful for it obviously because I’m way too big and wide to be on two wheels.”

Doohan’s next taste of FP1 will come in Abu Dhabi on November 18 on the same weekend he closes out his Formula 2 season.

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Originally published as F1 2022: Australian driver Jack Doohan eyes Formula one future after debut at Mexico Grand Prix