Doohan vows to ‘revisit’ F1’s rules after penalty-laden China GP

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Alpine rookie Jack Doohan endured a challenging Formula 1 weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix, racking up four penalty points on his Superlicence across two incidents.

The 22-year-old Australian faced stewards’ scrutiny twice, earning 10-second penalties in both Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix, prompting a vow to reassess the sport’s rulebook.

In the Sprint, Doohan skittled Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto on the final lap, receiving a 10-second penalty and two points. Although he finished last, the sanction didn’t alter his result.

But Sunday proved costlier when, battling Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar for 15th at Turn 14, Doohan locked up, skated wide, and forced Hadjar off-track.

Deemed to have lost control of his car, he copped another 10-second penalty and two more points, dropping him two places.

“Giving away two places like that – no points for 14th or 16th – however it definitely feels a bit better,” he reflected.

A Steep Learning Curve

With four of his 12 allowable penalty points accrued in one weekend, Doohan acknowledged the need for change.

“I’m going to have to revisit it because I don’t want to be getting penalties on a regular basis,” he confessed, signaling intent to study F1’s code of conduct.

“There’s a lot of positives to take forward. I just have to refresh myself, fill in the driver guidelines so I stop having any issues.”

Despite the setbacks, Doohan salvaged 13th after the exclusions of Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and teammate Pierre Gasly, who had finished 11th, over 20 seconds ahead.

Alpine’s pace struggles were evident, yet Doohan found silver linings.

“We were lacking a bit of pace in general, but to pick up four spots, head forward, to keep the VCARB behind for 20-odd laps, a car that was a Q3 car… They had solid pace,” he reasoned. “We have to be happy with that.”

Tyre Troubles and Team Struggles

Shanghai’s new track surface which induced high degradation, complicated tyre management and overtaking despite an extended DRS zone.

“On the hard stint, we were able to close up to the group in front quite quickly,” commented Doohan who started on the mediums.

However, fresh-tyred rivals disrupted his rhythm.

“When Alex [Albon] came out after his pit stop and the other cars coming past on fresh tyres, you lose on average about two seconds when you get overtaken by those cars,” he explained.

“That just was hurting the tyres – plus falling back a bit from Pierre, but I think on average, we’re quite similar. I think especially on one lap pace, plus or minus a tenth depending on the session.”

Despite his efforts, Alpine left China pointless—the only team yet to score in 2025 - highlighting a tough debut season for Doohan.

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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.