Supercars star Broc Feeney has thrown his support behind childhood friend Jack Doohan as he battles to keep his seat at Alpine.
Doohan is widely reported to have his career on the chopping block just six races into the season, with Alpine tipped to replace him with reserve driver Franco Colapinto before the next race.
The Australian debutant is yet to score a point this year but has been a close match for teammate Pierre Gasly in qualifying trim at most rounds.
Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™, LIVE in 4K with no ad-breaks during racing. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
He outqualified Gasly for a grand prix for the first time in Miami at the weekend, having also done so for the sprint in China in March, but was taken out of the race at the first corner in a crash with Liam Lawson.
Alpine has reportedly pulled the trigger regardless, with reports Doohan has already been told he will be demoted back to reserve driver from next weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to make space for Colapinto.
It would be a cruel and sudden end to Doohan’s F1 dream, the 22-year-old having been a member of the Alpine driver academy since 2022 and having been the team’s dedicated reserve driver last year to keep himself in the queue for a full-time promotion.
READ MORE
Little makes sense in Aussie’s ruthless F1 axing… but he was always doomed from the start
F1 team plunges into fresh chaos as Doohan axe sparks second exit no one saw coming
How Doohan debacle exposed F1 basket case’s newest tumult… and the villain at its chaotic centre
Feeney had a front-row seat for Doohan’s early racing career, the Queenslanders having been companions during their karting exploits before Jack’s F1 trajectory took him abroad in 2018.
The Gold Coast pair are still close friends and keep in regular contact.
Speaking to Fox Sports, Feeney says Doohan deserves a chance to prove himself in Formula 1, having already shown glimpses of his potential.
“I just think he’s been pretty unlucky with a few of the results,” he says. “On the weekend I don’t really think there’s much that he could have done to avoid that DNF, and a few things haven’t gone his way.
“But he outqualified Pierre and has shown some really good speed.
“I think he’s been super fast, and it’s probably the same as me at the moment — I just feel like things aren’t clicking as such, and I think once all that starts to happen, he’ll get some really good results on the board.
“But it’s been awesome — it’s so cool to see one of my great mates in F1.”
PIT TALK PODCAST: Oscar Piastri wins his fourth race in five grands prix to extend his lead atop the drivers championship, and with McLaren scoring its biggest victory yet, is there any hope for anyone else in either title chase?
Doohan is the son of five-time 500cc motorcycle champion Mick, who has been omnipresent in the F1 paddock throughout his son’s rise to the top category.
Mighty Mick, as he was known in his title-winning prime, has spoken about imbuing younger Doohan with a tough racing mindset to help him survive the cutthroat world of Formula 1.
Feeney said it would stand Doohan in good stead to emerge from this period of high speculation intact.
“He’s probably one of the hardest working guys, if not the hardest working guy, in there,” he continued. “He’s probably the fittest, he’s the strongest, he’s got such a great mentality, and that obviously comes down from his dad — they’ve probably the got the strongest minds together, that family, in the world.
“There’s no point of talking about it too much until we see what happens. I’m certainly not going to speculate.
“But whatever is thrown at Jack, he’ll be fine.”
Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes resigned his post on Tuesday in what’s being widely interpreted as the result of a clash with executive adviser Flavio Briatore, who has driven the push to get Colapinto into a seat.
News of Doohan’s presumed axing could come as soon as tomorrow, though the Australian is expected to be retained as a reserve driver.
Discussion about this post