Last Updated on January 20 2026, 9:36 am
Just days after officially leaving Alpine, Jack Doohan is reportedly on the brink of a swift return to the Formula 1 paddock. According to reports, the 22-year-old Australian could be set to return with Haas, in a move potentially linked to Lewis Hamilton’s long-term future at Ferrari.
Doohan’s time away from Formula 1 appears set to be brief. According to PlanetF1, he is close to agreeing a deal with Haas to become the American team’s reserve driver for the upcoming season.
Talks ‘in a positive direction’
Talks between Doohan’s management and Haas are said to be progressing ‘in a positive direction’, and an announcement could be imminent.
While this role would not immediately return Doohan to the F1 grid, it could be strategically important. Haas are reportedly keen to keep the young driver race-ready by entering him into Japan’s Super Formula championship alongside his reserve duties. Competing regularly in one of the world’s most competitive single-seater series would keep Doohan sharp and allow him to gain valuable experience rather than spending a season on the sidelines.
MORE F1 NEWS – Max Verstappen announces decision about F1 future
A reserve role with big implications
At first glance, a reserve role might seem like a step down after Doohan’s brief stint as a full-time Formula 1 driver. However, the Haas opportunity could open the door to a much bigger prize in the medium term. The focus is already shifting towards the 2027 season, when the driver market could be significantly disrupted.
Much depends on Lewis Hamilton’s future at Ferrari. The seven-time world champion’s contract situation and long-term plans are a major talking point in the paddock. If Hamilton were to retire after the upcoming season, Ferrari are widely expected to promote Oliver Bearman, who is currently one of their most highly rated young drivers. Bearman, who has close ties to Haas, would likely vacate his seat with the American team if he were to join the Scuderia.
This could create a vacancy at Haas, which Doohan, already embedded within the team as a reserve driver, might be perfectly positioned to fill.
MORE F1 NEWS – Ferrari bombshell over Hamilton’s ‘inner circle’
From Alpine promise to sudden exit
Doohan’s situation has changed rapidly over the past year. Until a few days ago, he was under contract with Alpine and made his Formula 1 debut with the French team at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the end of the 2024 season. This paved the way for a full-time seat in 2025, representing a significant career milestone.
However, the season quickly became a struggle. Two retirements and two 13th-place finishes, as well as results of 15th and 17th, were not enough to convince Alpine’s management to keep him on. The team opted to remove Doohan from his race seat and promote Franco Colapinto instead.
Colapinto’s own run proved equally challenging, with misfortune and a lack of points highlighting Alpine’s wider issues rather than offering a clear solution.
MORE F1 NEWS – Ferrari bombshell over Hamilton’s ‘inner circle’
A second chance on the horizon
For Doohan, a potential move to Haas could be a lifeline. While it would not be an immediate return to racing on Sundays, the reserve role could put him in the perfect position should opportunities arise in the driver market.
In Formula 1, timing is everything, and another opportunity for Jack Doohan may be closer than it first appeared.
MORE F1 NEWS – As Verstappen’s Red Bull team unveils its new car, Marko reveals: “From what I hear…”
NEXT ARTICLE – Bianchi family announces news
“It is a great relief” say the Bianchi family as Jules Bianchi’s go-kart recovered after theft – There is welcome news from the family of the late Formula 1 driver, Jules Bianchi. Several go-karts were stolen from the family’s private collection earlier this year, but at least one of the missing machines has now been recovered. The news was confirmed by Jules’ father, Philippe Bianchi, who shared the update on social media.
“I am delighted to announce that Jules’ go-kart has been found. It is a huge relief for our entire family,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
He also expressed his gratitude to those who helped bring about the breakthrough, thanking supporters who shared information, media outlets that reported on the theft and the local police in Brignoles for their assistance.
The recovered kart is particularly important as it was the last one used by Jules Bianchi before he progressed further in his racing career. Its return represents more than the recovery of valuable equipment — it marks the return of a deeply personal piece of family history…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
A senior writer at TJ13, C.J. Alderson serves as Senior Editor and newsroom coordinator, with a background in online sports reporting and motorsport magazine editing. Alderson’s professional training in media studies and experience managing content teams ensures TJ13 maintains consistency of voice and credibility. During race weekends, Alderson acts as desk lead, directing contributors and smoothing breaking stories for publication.
Zero chance because he failed to show anything to be worthy of a second full-time chance.
Besides, Ferrari is still Haas’ most important partner, so FDA drivers are definitely ahead in priority as far as direct successors to either Ocon or Bearman are concerned, not to mention the lineup will most likely remain unchanged also into 2027 anyway because realistically, the only way for any change to happen is by Hamilton quitting after next season with Bearman becoming his direct successor at Ferrari, which is unlikely to happen, & even in such a scenario, Bearman’s direct successor at Haas would almost certainly be either Rafael Camara or Dino Beganovic.
Therefore, all things considered, Doohan barely stands any chance of a full-time return by switching teams for the sake of being a reserve driver again, just like Zhou, for that matter.
The most certain thing is that neither Ocon nor Bearman would be sacked in favor of him, given that he wouldn’t even be an improvement from either by any means, so he can be a reserve driver again all he wants, but he should eventually accept his fate based on reality.