After suffering three crashes in three days at Suzuka, Jack Doohan has been dropped by Kondo Racing and will not compete in Japanese Super Formula.
Jack Doohan will not race in Super Formula either
From everything to nothing in the space of nine months. Just a year ago, Jack Doohan was experiencing the happiest moment of his career: newly promoted to Formula 1, he was eagerly looking forward to the 2025 pre-season tests and to starting the championship for the first time as a full-time driver. Alpine, however, dropped him after the sixth Grand Prix, following several mistakes that were nevertheless part of the expected learning curve of a rookie.
Now the Australian is not only no longer in Formula 1, but has also been excluded from the Alpine programme altogether. Unfortunately for Doohan, the bad news did not end there, as he also failed to secure a place in Japanese Super Formula. After a negative post-season test at Suzuka, Kondo Racing decided to rely on the more experienced Ukyo Sasahara as Luke Browning’s team-mate.
Suzuka has certainly not been Jack Doohan’s track. It was here that a large part of his reputation within Alpine and Formula 1 was damaged, when he attempted to take Turn 1 with DRS open after trying a similar move in the simulator. In December, with the Japanese team, he suffered three crashes in three days at Degner Curve 2. Despite this, it initially seemed that Doohan might keep his seat, but a last-minute rethink led Kondo Racing to part ways with the son of legendary Mick Doohan.
One possible explanation for the split could be the team’s need for financial backing from Jack Doohan, something Sasahara was able to guarantee thanks to the support of a giant like Toyota, which supplies the engine to the team. However, Jack Doohan’s on-track mistakes certainly did not help his case. Now, for the 2003-born driver, there is a serious risk of spending the entire 2026 season completely away from motorsport.
Jack Doohan’s exclusion from the Kondo Racing Super Formula lineup therefore marks a devastating low point in a career that, only months ago, seemed destined for long-term Formula 1 success. By failing to secure a seat in Japan following a series of high-profile incidents at the unforgiving Suzuka circuit, the young Australian now faces the difficult task of rebuilding his professional reputation without the support of the Alpine academy. Ultimately, this latest setback underscores the brutal reality of modern motorsport, where the combination of technical errors and shifting financial requirements can leave even the most promising talents facing a 2026 season on the sidelines.
In summary, after his early exit from F1 and now the loss of his Super Formula opportunity, Jack Doohan finds himself at a career crossroads with no clear path back to the starting grid.
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