Jack Doohan rejected an opportunity to race in IndyCar next season as he remains focused on a career in F1.
Speedcafe revealed Doohan would not return to Formula 2 next season as there is little value in a third year in the feeder category.
And while there are opportunities to race elsewhere, and as appealing as some of those options are, the 20-year-old remains steadfast in his F1 ambition.
“At the moment, I don’t have anything set to race,” he confirmed.
“Had quite a lot of options and in all sub formulas, and inside formulas other than Formula 1.
“So not that the opportunities were shy – Super Formula, IndyCar, Hypercar, whatever it was – I was very fortunate to have those options.
“However, at this point in time, I feel it’s crucial that I focus only on Formula 1, which is heavily provided by Alpine that I’m able to stay within a car.”
Doohan was in the frame for a World Endurance Championship drive with Alpine, though that has not come to pass.
With no race programme in place, Doohan looks instead to continue testing previous-spec F1 machinery.
To date, that has seen him at the wheel of an A521, a 2021-spec car as rules prevent testing of newer designs.
Next year, however, he will be able to drive the A522, Alpine’s first car under the current regulation set and therefore more akin to what is currently being raced.
“It’s very valuable,” Doohan said when asked by Speedcafe of the importance of testing F1 machinery.
“Testing recent has been in the ’21 cars, so we know that ’21 to ’23, it’s been quite a step and quite a lot of differences – starting off with the massive tyres and a little bit heavier, more downforce.
“But at least the ’22 to ’24 characteristics will be there, will be some similarities. It will be in a semi-similar sort of weight ratio, also on 18-inch tyres.
“It’s just about getting myself really into some race weekend formats to make sure that if I do have to hop in the car and do have to step in, that I can make sure that I do the job in the best possible way.”
Doohan will remain Alpine’s nominated reserve driver next year, alongside an extensive programme in the A522.
“If I wasn’t going to have this extensive programme, then for sure I would need seat time, and that would be venturing out somewhere else,” Doohan noted.
“But being able to have that seat time in a Formula 1 machine and then be at the track here doing some work, I think that’s going to position myself in the best possible way to land a seat in ’25.”
Should Doohan not secure a full race programme next season, it’s thought a Le Mans outing as part of an expanded Alpine effort at the French classic is on the cards.
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