Son-of-a-gun Jack Doohan showed ‘bravery’ required to be F1 driver from early years

Jack Doohan was always a strong chance to pursue a career in motorsport given his family genes, showing that from an early age, but an accident at age five turned him away from following his famous father on two wheels.

Even when he was a young boy mucking around on two wheels on a BMX bike, racing driver turned renowned driver coach Paul Morris could see Jack Doohan had the qualities needed to succeed in motorsport.

A long-time family friend of the Doohans, Morris has known Australia’s newest Formula 1 driver since the “day he was born” and, more recently, has helped the 21-year-old hone his racing skills when he returned to Australia during his off-season.

But well before the son-of-a-gun jumped in a go-kart and set off on the pathway to F1, Morris said a young Doohan showed all the “bravery and self-belief” that helped propel his famous dad Mick to five 500cc motorcycle world titles.

Australia’s next Jack Doohan will make his F1 debut for Alpine at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Picture: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Paul Morris in 2021. Picture: Supplied.

“You need to be brave and a little bit crazy when they are a kid,” Morris reflected.

“If he (Doohan) jumped on a BMX bike, he was always the kid that was going to do it first or the longest, or crash trying.

“That bravery and self-belief was definitely there.

“Obviously you also need the ability when you get to that (top) level to just dial that back a bit and keep to where it needs to be.

“But all those kids are the same, it’s self-belief in their own ability and they’re not scared.”

Doohan will become Australia’s second driver on the F1 grid when he makes his debut at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for Alpine this weekend.

Alpine confirmed on Monday Doohan, who has been the team’s reserve driver, would race in the final Grand Prix of the year in place of Frenchman Esteban Ocon, who has been released to Haas so he can drive in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi.

Doohan, who will join fellow Australian and McLaren star Oscar Piastri on the F1 grid, had already been announced in August as Pierre Gasly’s teammate at Alpine for 2025.

He will also take part in the end-of-season test for the team.

“Stoked to be racing in Abu Dhabi this weekend for my debut Grand Prix,” Doohan wrote on social media after his debut was confirmed.

“Grateful to @alpinef1team for the trust and for giving me this opportunity. Also very grateful to Esteban who I’ve learnt a great deal from over the last two years.

“He’s been beneficial to my learning and development in Formula 1 and wish him the best for his future.

“Focused on the job at hand this week and working with Pierre to help the team achieve its objective.”

A long-time mate of legendary motorcycle champion Mick, ‘driver whisperer’ Morris has worked with Doohan at his Norwell Motorplex driving training facility in Queensland each summer for the past four years.

Morris, who also works with several Supercars drivers, said Doohan had the skills to drive “beyond the limits” of the car.

“Jack can drive beyond the limits and then dial himself back a bit,” the Bathurst 1000-winning co-driver said.

“You need a driver at that level that can drive out of pit lane and be on it straight away. That’s what I always noticed with him, he could turn it on pretty quickly.

“He could drive it over the limits of the car and then dial it back a bit and that’s what I have seen with him.

“That’s the biggest thing with elite level drivers is feel. Feeling what the car needs and you can sense that in one corner and then adapt that to the rest of the track.

“For him, when we are putting him through his driver coaching stuff when he is back in Australia, it is just about making him adapt to different situations.

“That was the thing that we would work on, just put him in an environment where he was not used to and seeing how quickly he can adapt to it.”

Morris was not surprised Doohan opted for a racing career path on four wheels instead of two like his famous dad after a childhood biking accident at home when he was five.

Jack Doohan and his famous dad, five-time 500cc motorcycle world champion Mick. Picture: James Bearne/Getty Images

“I was there that day, he was there on a mini-bike and there were a heap of kids there and he disappeared down the boat ramp and ended up under the jetty or something and broke his leg and Mick was like ‘Oh no’,” Morris said.

“But the karting thing was good for him. Mick has still got a go-kart track in the backyard.

“(Doohan) has sort of grown up around people like Michael Schumacher who would come out and visit Mick and go go-karting with him and their kids and stuff, so it doesn’t surprise me he ended up that way.

“If you look at some of some of the horrific injuries Mick has got, it doesn’t surprise me he didn’t want his kid to have to go through that.”

Morris will work with Doohan again at his Norwell facility this summer when the young racing star returns to Australia after making his Formula 1 debut.

Jack Doohan prepares to drive during day three of the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. Picture: James Bearne/Getty Images

After spending the year as a reserve driver doing mostly simulator work, Morris said the focus for Doohan would be honing his race craft.

“This year, when he comes out because he hasn’t been racing much, like he has been test driving, our whole program this year will be about race craft and putting him in racing situations,” Morris said.

“We’ve got a plan to do that with the cars that we have here, and then the other race drivers that are here as well, is to hone those skills which he hasn’t been able to utilise this year because he hasn’t been racing.

“He is looking forward to coming back to Australia and doing some training in the off-season, so it is going to be good … we have got a two-week plan there for him over the break.”

Morris said his driving advice for Doohan ahead of his debut would be simple.

“He has just got to play his natural game that has got him there,” Morris said.

“There will be lots of people giving him advice, but you don’t get to that level and not know what to do.

“He has just got to execute and don’t waste the chances, just go for it.”

Originally published as Son-of-a-gun Jack Doohan showed ‘bravery’ required to be F1 driver from early years