Doohan will compete in his first-ever Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix this weekend, joining compatriot Oscar Piastri on the grid in Melbourne.
He does so against a backdrop of intrigue and intense speculation that he will be replaced by Franco Colapinto in short order.
Colapinto was a high-profile arrival at Alpine over the winter off the back of an impressive nine-race stint with Williams in late 2024.
That has prompted speculation that the Argentine could replace Doohan within a handful of races, heaping the pressure on the young Aussie.
Speaking with Speedcafe, those suggestions have left ex-Haas boss Steiner unconvinced.
“I think the pressure comes from outside,” Steiner said.
“A lot of these things which are happening in F1 is like someone said, ‘Oh, he has got only six races, and then it will be decided’.
“Somebody said it, somebody repeated it, and it got bigger and bigger.
“I don’t even know if it’s true because nobody knows where it came from.
“So, for me, it’s an exaggerated rumour.”
Doohan heads to Melbourne for his second F1 start having made his debut at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year.
He does so with the public support of the team, which has insisted the Aussie is the right man for the job.
That’s a point reinforced by team boss Oliver Oakes during pre-season testing last month.
Colapinto’s arrival on a multi-year contract (for which it’s claimed Alpine paid Williams AUD $34.5 million) and the funding he brought with him courtesy of Mercado Libre have fuelled the speculation and served only to heap the pressure on Doohan.
The 22-year-old has robustly swatted away suggestions Colapinto’s arrival ramps up the pressure, with Steiner suggesting his father, five-time motorcycling world champion Mick Doohan, will be an important calming influence.
“Obviously, in F1, it’s not only him under pressure; everyone needs to perform,” Steiner reasoned.
“If he performs, he will be fine, there will be no problem.
“He has got his father, Mick, the legend, around, so he will help him to go through this pressure he has got on.
“When you are a race car driver, you have always got pressure.
“I just don’t see where it came from,” he added of the speculation.
“It wasn’t an official statement, so if there’s no official statement, I always assume that somebody opened his mouth not knowing what he’s saying, just wanting a headline.
“Jack needs to stay calm, do what he’d good at, race cars, and then the performance will come, and he will be here to stay.
“I may have simplified it a little bit, but that’s what it is about.”
The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix runs from March 13 to 16, with F1 on track from 12:30 AEDT on Friday.
The event will be broadcast on both Fox Sports and Network 10, with Steiner part of the free-to-air team.
Discussion about this post