Young racers from all over Australia, and the wider world, dream of racing at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit. For our BWT Alpine F1 Team Reserve Driver Jack Doohan, this dream became a reality this past weekend when he experienced his first races on home soil in Round 3 of the 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship. But, before the start of an action-packed weekend for the home hero, Jack spent some time with his family and showed the BWT Alpine F1 Team exactly how to live the carefree Aussie lifestyle.

 

 

 

With a near 24-hour journey from Europe to Australia, in the build-up to touching back down in his home country, Jack had plenty of time to reminisce on his upbringing on the Gold Coast. Filled with unfettered family time in the great outdoors he spent his childhood in one of arguably the most beautiful places in the world. Between skateboarding with his friends and playing outside with his family, the years before Jack’s racing career picked up speed provide fond memories of the ultimate carefree life, memories he tries to create more of whenever he returns, even when it’s for work.

 

 

This year, Jack arrived in Brisbane to kick off race week, spending his first few days at home catching up with his family, and hosting an impromptu karting session with childhood friend Mick Schumacher; before flying to Melbourne and returning to the whirlwind of activity around one of the most highly anticipated races on the F2 calendar.

 

 

 

To kick off a long day of action on Wednesday, BWT Alpine F1 Team drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon joined Jack and his childhood friend and fellow racing driver, Broc Feeny for a spin behind the wheel of a Castrol-liveried V8 Supercar at the legendary Calder Park raceway. Part of a Castrol partner activation day, all three drivers raced alongside Tickford Racing’s Thomas Randle, who drives the Castrol-backed V8 Supercar in the Australian tin-top series.

 

 

“It was awesome! We had a go on an oval track because of the rainy weather, but wow, what a machine. I was surprised how good it felt, the position is very close to Formula 1, and I felt comfortable with everything straight away,” says Esteban. “Tom is a really fun guy; we had a blast and we played on the simulator a bit after too.”

 

 

 

That afternoon the sun came out just in time for Pro surfer Jack Robinson to show Jack and Pierre how it’s done, dominating the waves at URBNSURF, a world-class urban surf park in Melbourne. Esteban served as the team commentator as Jack and Pierre mastered the waves alongside fellow racing driver Mick Schumacher.

 

 

 

“It was a busy couple of days at the start of the week, but the highlights were definitely driving the V8 Supercar and surfing with the World No. 1. I’m pretty good at surfing but I will say the waves were pretty big. It was a really fun day though and a great way to kick off the week,” says Pierre.

 


Sharing one of his favourite pastimes with his teammates let Jack give his fellow drivers the inside scoop on Australian surf culture.

 

 

“It was great to spend the day with Pierre and Esteban, I really enjoyed getting into the water for a little bit and catching a few waves before the weekend,” says Jack. “Jack Robinson is also one of my biggest surf idols, so it was awesome to catch some waves with him.”

 

 

 

Just as we have opened our home and embraced our Aussie Reserve Driver, this past week he has opened his home and embraced our team. Because of the intense race calendar and commitments of a driver, Jack rarely gets to travel back to Australia this early in the year, so sharing his ideal week back home with the BWT Alpine F1 Team lets us to see a different side of him and allowed us to indulge in a little bit of play before we got down to work at the Albert Park track.

 

 

 

Jack had mixed results at his home race weekend with a DNF in the Sprint Race as a result of contact with Juan Manuel Correa before coming back in the Feature Race to storm up the order from P15 and finish with points in eighth place. See Jack race again in Round 4 of the FIA Formula 2 Championship in Azerbaijan, 28th – 30th April 2023.