Jack Doohan to race at Abu Dhabi GP, marking the end of Ocon’s Alpine stint

New Delhi: Alpine have announced that Jack Doohan, who is set to join Alpine from next season, will be replacing the outgoing Esteban Ocon for the final race of the season at Abu Dhabi.

BWT Alpine Formula One Team announces that reserve driver Jack Doohan will race in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in place of Esteban Ocon. The change allows Esteban to be released to Haas to drive in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi,” read the statement by the team.

Ocon, who has been a key driver for Alpine for five years, is already confirmed to leave the team at the end of the 2024 season to join Haas. In a parallel development, Alpine announced earlier this year that their reserve driver, Jack Doohan, would step into a full-time seat alongside Pierre Gasly for the 2025 season.

Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes addressed reports of an early departure for Esteban Ocon, possibly paving the way for Jack Doohan’s Grand Prix debut at the Abu Dhabi season finale.

The move would allow Ocon to join Haas early, enabling him to drive for his new team during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, while giving Doohan valuable race experience before his debut season.

“It’s obviously slightly complex because, as much as he is ours, he’s obviously contractually a Mercedes junior as well, and obviously he’d like to be released early as well. I think anyone who gets thrown into an F1 car in a race like that, it’s never easy to judge. But Jack’s professional enough to handle it. Once you ease into the weekend with FP1 and FP2, you can build up to it,” Oakes was quoted saying by F1 website after the Qatar GP.

Rumours of a strained relationship between Ocon and the team have lingered throughout the season, particularly following a dramatic collision with teammate Pierre Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix. However, Oakes dismissed the notion that such incidents were a primary factor in the discussions, emphasising instead the practical benefits of an early transition.

Doohan’s potential debut would also draw comparisons with other impressive rookie performances, including Ollie Bearman’s standout showing in Saudi Arabia and the high-pressure debut of Mercedes’ junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli in Monza.