Hill: ‘Smart and inquisitive’ Doohan so well prepared for F1

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F1 world champion Damon Hill believes that Alpine junior Jack Doohan is the ideal candidate to fill Esteban Ocon’s vacant seat at the Enstone squad for 2025 given his talent and level of preparation.

In addition to several Friday outings on Grand Prix weekend, Doohan is undergoing a private test programme with Alpine this year and all signs point to the 21-year-old being meticulously groomed for the big time.

The French outfit, at the behest of its recently appointed executive advisor Flavio Briatore, tabled an offer for the services of Carlos Sainz, but the outgoing Ferrari charger has opted to take his skills to Williams, positioning Doohan once again as the front-runner to become Pierre Gasly’s teammate in 2025.

“Jack is a very professional driver,” commented Hill, speaking on the F1 Nation podcast.

“He acquitted himself well. He’s shown that he can race. He’s smart and inquisitive. He seems to be there asking all the questions - doing the groundwork with the team.

Read also: Alpine confirms Oakes as new F1 team principal

“He will definitely be an interesting guy to give a crack to. He’s yet to have proven credentials in F1 like Ollie Bearman who’s jumped in the car and done a race. A lot of these guys are capable.

“They’re so well prepared they won’t have a problem when they get into F1.”

Nevertheless, current Sauber drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu – a former Alpine junior – have reportedly also been earmarked by the French team.

But at the Belgian Grand Prix, just before F1’s summer break, Alpine team boss Bruno Famin, who will cede his baton of team principal to Oliver Oakes when the action resumes at Zandvoort later this month, hinted at Doohan’s chances for 2025.

“We’re preparing him,” he explained. “He has a quite heavy testing programme, and we are happy with that.

“Let’s see how he develops. He’s one possibility among others, but he’s one possibility for sure.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.