Last Updated on April 3 2026, 8:50 am
A new challenge for Jack Doohan – A firm decision has now been made regarding Jack Doohan’s immediate future. With no full-time Formula One seat available for the 2026 season, the Australian initially settled for a reserve role with the Haas F1 Team. However, this stopgap solution has quickly evolved into something more substantial.
Doohan is officially returning to competitive racing this year, having secured a drive in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). The 23-year-old will compete in the LMP2 category, driving an Oreca 07 for Nielsen Racing alongside Ed Pearson and Roy Nissany.
A Difficult Path After Formula 1 Exit
Doohan’s journey back onto the grid has been far from straightforward. After making his Formula 1 debut with the Alpine F1 Team in the final race of the 2024 season, there were high hopes that he would become a full-time driver the following year.
However, his 2025 campaign was cut short and ended in frustration. Doohan competed in just six races, beginning his season in disappointment after retiring from his home race in Melbourne. He made his final appearance in Miami, after which the team replaced him with Franco Colapinto.
This sudden change left Doohan without a race seat, forcing him to regroup and reassess his career direction. He explored a move to Japan’s Super Formula series, including testing with Kondo Racing, but this ultimately failed to materialise as a full-time opportunity.
Rapid Transition to Endurance Racing
Now, a new chapter in endurance racing begins, and the tight timeline leaves little room for adjustment. The ELMS season starts on 12 April with the 4 Hours of Barcelona at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, so Doohan must quickly adapt to a completely different style of racing.
Speaking about the opportunity, Doohan expressed both excitement and realism about the challenge ahead:
“It’s a new challenge where I still have a lot to learn, but I’m confident that with such a strong team by my side, we’ll get up to speed quickly”.
The Oreca 07 LMP2 car requires a different driving approach, race management style and stronger teamwork across longer stints, representing a significant shift from Formula 1 machinery.
The off-track struggles that shaped him
Beyond the on-track setbacks, Doohan has also had to contend with a far darker side of life in Formula One — one that came into sharp focus during his short-lived 2025 campaign.
As previously reported by TJ13, Jack Doohan revealed that he received shocking death threats at the height of the season, particularly around the Miami Grand Prix weekend. The situation escalated to such a serious level that police protection was required to ensure his safety at the event.
These threats emerged amid intense online criticism and scrutiny of his performances, highlighting the toxic environment that young drivers can face when results do not immediately meet expectations. What began as social media backlash quickly crossed into dangerous territory, necessitating intervention from the authorities.
Growing Issues within F1?
According to the TJ13 report, the scale and severity of the abuse far exceeded typical fan frustration, highlighting a growing issue within the sport where online anonymity can embolden extreme behaviour.
For a rookie driver still finding his feet at the highest level, this experience was both alarming and formative. The combination of performance pressure, uncertainty over his future with the Alpine F1 Team and personal safety concerns created an extraordinarily difficult environment to navigate.
In many ways, these experiences have helped shape Doohan’s resilience. His move away from the immediate spotlight of Formula 1 and into endurance racing offers a professional reset and a chance to rebuild in a more stable and controlled environment, far removed from the intensity that defined his brief time on the F1 grid.
MORE F1 NEWS – Red Bull’s response to growing pressure, but is Verstappen already losing faith?
Haas Covered Despite Doohan’s New Role
Despite his new racing commitments, Haas remains well covered on the Formula 1 front. The American team also has Ryo Hirakawa available as a reserve driver, with the Japanese racer balancing his duties in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
For Doohan, however, the priority is clear: consistent race mileage and a chance to prove himself once again. While his Formula 1 future remains uncertain, strong performances in the European Le Mans Series could reopen doors yet.
In motorsport, careers are rarely linear, and this latest chapter may prove to be a crucial turning point for Jack Doohan.
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NEXT ARTICLE – Max Verstappen Considering Paid 2027 Sabbatical Amid F1 Frustrations
One thing was crystal clear at the recent 2026 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix, and that is Max Verstappen is a very unhappy man. In the FIA press conference he banished a journalist from The Guardian, refusing to answer questions until the offending pork pie hat had left the room.
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Thats in itself is a bizarre tale, given that Red Bull energy drinks brand, the extreme sports they have supported and the rebellious attitude of the Red Bull F1 team have always been associated with kicking over the traces. How times have changed since the death of Red Bull founder Didi Mateschitz. But we digress.
As if to make matters worse, Vertsappen had his worst racing weekend of the season. He was out qualified for the second time by new team mate Isack Hadjar and dumped out of the top ten shootout by rookie Arvid Lindblad in the Red Bull sister car. The RB22 car was “undriveable” repeated Max throughout the…CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE
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.
