Jack Doohan says by the time he started F1 2025 season he became immune to speculation around him, where the worst was in January.
The speculation about potential replacement already started towards the end of the 2024 F1 season. And it continued all-through the winter into the 2025 season. Even though Franco Colapinto was announced as reserve, the murmurs about limited time for Doohan started to swirl.
The reports indicated six races which proved to be true after Alpine confirmed Colapinto replacing Doohan from Emilia Romagna GP onward. In a small twist, the Argentine too has limited time to showcase his talents. Only after that, either of their futures will be decided.
For Doohan, by the time he started the 2025 season, he was immune to the rumours and heavy scrutiny. He felt the worst was in January, but slowly he got accustomed to it as there was nothing he could have done. He took it as part and parcel of being in F1.
“The worst of it was in January pre-season when there was the most noise, nothing else going on,” recalled Doohan. “It was the talk of the town but I think there was a new narrative each weekend and, very quickly as well, I knew what was irrelevant, what wasn’t true, and just focused on my job. To be honest, on top of everything, and even in the difficult times, I didn’t really ever feel affected by it – I had a good group of people around me, and the team was also very supportive.
“So I never had that or felt that on the back of my mind. For sure, there’s always going to be noise. But I was more just focused on being as fast as I could in the car, rather than thinking about anything external. Potentially, since this topic has been around for so long, by the time the season got started, maybe I was already so immune to it!
“If it had started already just a couple of days before Melbourne, it might have hindered me more. Things are always out there for a reason. Nothing gets out by mistake, so I think I was just keeping my head down and doing my job and knowing what’s real and what’s not. I think it’s just circumstantial. I don’t think there’s a target towards me, it’s just how it’s played out.
“I don’t take it like personally, I don’t take anything personally. I just think this is our sport. This is how it is for my time right now and, for sure, I’ll benefit from it more than anything, and more than anything else,” summed up Doohan, who praised the direct Flavio Briatore in the time spent together.
When asked, about what Briatore said all the while in the winter period, he said: “Things were clear in what was happening. He was just wanting me to do well and the best happen and forget about the noise, forget about what’s going on, and just do the best that I possibly can.”
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