Jack Doohan: I had an incredible experience thanks to Alpine

Jack Doohan made his debut in the official race weekend session, replacing Esteban Ocon in the opening practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix. The Australian rider is happy with the experience, but regrets that problems with the power plant prevented him from completing the entire program.

In the second training session, Esteban Okon not only tested the prototype tires for 2023, but also worked with the current Soft line-up, which showed the third time. His Alpine teammate Fernando Alonso finished 11th.

Esteban Ocon (3rd): “It was interesting to test myself on a difficult track with long straights, difficult corners and minimal grip on asphalt. I skipped the first practice by handing the car over to Jack. I’ve been in his place in the past so I can say he did a great job.

In the second practice we managed to do a lot of laps and get some useful information. The session was interrupted several times, but the team managed to collect a lot of data for analysis. I am curious what results we can achieve in the coming days.”

Fernando Alonso (11th): “Good training – nice to be back in Mexico City. The track is always characterized by low grip and the high altitude above sea level affects the car and the driver. We have to adapt to the difficult conditions that we will continue to face during the weekend.

Overall, we have completed Friday’s program and are preparing for Saturday with confidence in a high result.”

Jack Duane (19th in the first session): “Great that I participated in the first training! I am grateful to Alpine for this opportunity. I prepared a lot for the races, together with the engineers at Enstone and on the simulator.

We had planned to do more laps, but unfortunately we had to finish the work earlier than planned due to a small problem with the car. It happens in motorsport, but doing 13 laps on a race weekend is an incredible experience that I will never forget.

I’m looking forward to continuing with the team this weekend and I hope Esteban and Fernando score points.”

Alan PermainSporting Director: “Jack had a great first session in Formula 1. On the track in Mexico City it is not easy to drive, especially on his debut, but he has proved himself well.

Unfortunately, Jack had to end the session early due to power plant problems. However, he acted cautiously, increasing the pace with each lap and providing us with useful feedback. After that he observed much of our work.

Fernando passed the day without any problems – the car looked fast in both sessions. Esteban was unable to complete the entire program on the current tires due to the red flags mid-session and Pirelli prototype testing, but we have gathered enough information for the rest of the weekend. Our goal remains the same: to finish in the top ten with two cars.”