Home Debut
The 2025 Formula 1 season will once again open in Australia for the first time since 2019. Local fans filling the grandstands at Albert Park will have the chance to cheer for two homegrown drivers: Oscar Piastri, highly anticipated at the wheel of McLaren and considered by many a title contender, and Jack Doohan. The son of a racing legend finds himself in a different situation at Alpine—Melbourne will be only his second career Grand Prix, but the pressure from Franco Colapinto keeps his seat far from secure.
One driver who will no longer be able to race in front of his home crowd is Daniel Ricciardo. Once the beloved hero of Aussie fans, he is now out of Formula 1 after being dropped by Racing Bulls following the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. “It would have been fantastic to have him (Ricciardo) still here,” Jack Doohan admitted in an interview with *The West Australian*, “but at least there are still two of us.” The son of five-time 500cc world champion Mick Doohan revealed that he had several conversations with his fellow countryman toward the end of last season.
Without Daniel Ricciardo
“(Daniel Ricciardo and I) spoke at length at the end of last year,” Jack Doohan said. “I even met up with him when I was in Los Angeles before heading to Las Vegas. We had a brief chat. But since then, we haven’t had much contact. He’s doing his own thing, enjoying life after F1. He no longer has to deal with everything that used to come with it.” – the Alpine driver pointed out.
Finally, Jack Doohan had some kind words for Oscar Piastri, who could give Australian fans something to dream about this year. “Oscar was exceptional, especially last year, and McLaren was very fast. Hopefully, we can challenge him in the near future, and it’s fantastic to be on the grid with him,” he said.
Leave a Reply