Latest news with #JackDoohan
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Alpine A390 arrives to reboot the Alpine brand in Australia
The Alpine A110 is one of those cars that's impossible to hate. From its cute coupe's styling, inoffensive size, explosive performance and sublime handling it's no wonder an Alpine owner is easy to spot in a police line-up – they're the ones with the permanent fixed grin. Engage one in a conversation and you'll instantly regret it, such is their cult-like devotion for the A110 you'll lose hours being lectured at why they are, and always will be, better than a Porsche. Which is strange because despite their keenness to spread the good word in the four short years it was on sale in Australia (2018-2022) Alpine, perhaps best know Down Under as the F1 home of Aussie driver Jack Doohan, sold just 106 of them – hardly enough to make ends meet for the reborn carmaker. Hence why the local outfit is rebooting itself with an electric mid-size SUV – Australia's favourite flavour of car in one of the fastest-growing segments and once again the French Renault-owned carmaker has a Porsche in its sights with its all-new A390. Like the little A110, we've got few complaints of the Alpine's looks. In fact, some might argue it's stunning. Said to have drawn plenty from the Alpenglow super car concept, plus the A424 LMDh Le Mans endurance racer, the new Porsche Macan rival sports dramatic styling that includes complex air bending lifted from motorsport. The 17-degree rear roof angle and the 8-degree angled diffuser for example, were both found to be optimal following exhaustive wind-tunnel testing of the Le Mans racer. Everywhere you look there's yet another example of designers attempting to maximise downforce for high-speed stability with adding range-sapping drag. Despite designed to pinch sales from the Macan, the A390 is much smaller car but tipping the scales at a still tubby 2121kg means it's a considerable 209kg lighter than the Porsche's 'Porker' Macan. With less weight Alpine engineers have been able to maximise the performance of the A390 state-of-the-art triple-motor powertrain that uses a small e-motor to drive the front wheels and a pair of beefier units to spin up the rears. Even the base GT produces 295kW and 650Nm or torque for a brisk 4.8 second 0-100km/h dash and a 200km/h top speed but if you want the version that can live up to the Alpine legacy you'll need the 345kW GTS that produces a monstrous 808Nm of torque. Off the line, the most powerful A390 GTS takes 3.9 seconds to hit 100km/h form rest and tops out at 220km/h which makes it as quick as the fastest-ever A110. The parallels with the A110 coupe continue. Believe it or not but Alpine says behind the wheel the A390 drives just like the little two-door coupe, despite being twice as heavy. The secret is a trick suspension with comfort-boosting hydraulic bump stops and the ability of the two rear motors to mimic a limited slip differential, with it able to tailor the way the A390 attacks a corner. In the process not a single kW is wasted. Of course, the A390 isn't perfect. Based on the same platform as the cheaper Renault Megane E-Tech it misses out on the most powerful 800-volt electrics, so the 400-volt Alpine can only handle a DC charge up to 190kW – a big drop from the Macan's 270kW – with the resulting 15-80 per cent top-up of the 89kWh battery claimed to take 25 minutes versus the Macan's 21 mins claim for a bigger 10-80 per cent recharge of the larger 101kWh power pack. Alpine says range is bang on the money at 555km on the Euro WLTP range but space within isn't, with less room in the second row to stretch out beside the Macan, with engineers claiming the lack of space is deliberate as they wanted to the shortest wheelbase possible to enhance agility. At least the Alpine comes with both a vehicle-to-load capability to charge external devices and a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) feature that could one days see owners take advantage of the cheapest electricity prices Down Under. Speaking of price Alpine Australia is keeping its cards close to its chest, only confirming it for our market with pricing and full specification to come much later. Hopefully, our timing will mirror what's happening in the UK with right-hand drive versions of the A390 set to land in dealers in Q2 of 2026. The bad news is British-market Alpine A390s don't come cheap, with the battery-powered mid-size SUV hotly tipped to cost a considerable £60,000 (A$125,000) for the cheapest GT, not far off the what's charged for the Porsche Macan ($A! 33,700). That's serious money for a brand with limited cache Down Under, except among a loyal band of diehards who will continue to insist any Alpine is better than a Porsche. 2026 Alpine A390 RANGE: 555km POWER: 345kW combined TORQUE: 808Nm SPARE: Repair kit *estimated
Telegraph
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
F1 driver ratings: Hamilton bettered by rookie and Norris outside top three
With a third of the 2025 Formula One season gone, Telegraph Sport compiles its first driver rankings of the year. While you can look at the standings to see the headline numbers,we have delved a little deeper to assess how each driver is performing, awarding points for each race weekend (20 points for the best rated down to one point for the worst) and totalled up over the season so far. 20: Jack Doohan, Alpine – 25 rating points The Australian showed flashes of speed in his six-race stint at Alpine before being dropped. The primary problem was that they were never converted into anything meaningful on Sunday. The secondary issue was his all-too frequent crashes. Championship points: 0 (19th) Qualifying record: 6-2 loss to Gasly 19: Liam Lawson, Red Bull/Racing Bulls – 37pts There should be some sympathy for Lawson, who was harshly dropped from Red Bull after just two races. You suspect his confidence has been battered after that brutal demotion. He has been too distant from team-mate Isack Hadjar since returning to Racing Bulls. Championship points: 4 (17th) Qualifying record: 2-0 loss to Verstappen, 6-1 loss to Hadjar 18th: Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber – 47pts Given a debut season in the slowest car, this has not been a terrible start from the Brazilian. Qualified well in Miami before his retirement. He is certainly showing enough promise, especially in qualifying, but it is now about improving his performances. Championship points: 0 (21st) Qualifying record: 6-4 loss to Hulkenberg 17th: Lance Stroll, Aston Martin – 50pts Stroll picked up a useful haul of points in the opening two rounds but has largely been poor since, Miami sprint aside. His 11th place in the standings flatters him greatly. He has qualified behind team-mate Fernando Alonso nine times out of 10 – often quite comfortably. Amazing to think he has made a career this mediocre last nine seasons. Championship points: 14 (11th) Qualifying record: 9-1 loss to Alonso 16th: Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls/Red Bull – 61pts Tsunoda is this high largely because of a fairly strong start at Racing Bulls in the first two rounds. At Red Bull, he is an improvement on Liam Lawson but that is a preposterously low bar. Not implausible for him to be swapped with Hadjar by the season's end. A difficult situation in a difficult car, but should be doing better. Championship points: 10 (13th) Qualifying record: 2-1 win over Hadjar, 7-0 loss to Verstappen 15th: Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber – 69pts It has been hard for Hulkenberg to stand out because of the quality of the Sauber. Other teams have been up and down but in four rounds it has been the slowest car and in two more the second slowest. This has made it hard for the German to show his natural talent over a flying lap. In any case, it's not as though the Sauber has been a good race car, either, a fairly fortunate sixth at Melbourne aside. Championship points: 6 (15th) Qualifying record: 6-4 win over Bortoleto 14th: Pierre Gasly, Alpine – 74pts After five rounds, Gasly placed in the top 10 in our rankings, but poor showings in Miami and Monaco especially, where he rear-ended Tsunoda, have dropped him back six places. Up to then he was getting close to the maximum from his inconsistent Alpine. Championship points: 7 (14th) Qualifying record: 6-2 win over Doohan, 2-0 win over Colapinto 13th: Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin – 76pts It is hard to remember a time when the Spaniard would have ranked as lowly over a prolonged period. To have no points after eight rounds is a shock. He has been hampered by his car which, until Imola, was the eighth fastest. It has given him very few chances to show his abundant skill. Luck has played a part in this, but errors have crept in too. Championship points: 0 (18th) Qualifying record: 9-1 win over Stroll 12th: Carlos Sainz, Williams – 77pts It took Sainz a handful of races to fully settle in at Williams, but since then he has been a match for a strongly-performing team-mate in Alexander Albon. Sainz looks to have the edge over one lap recently and would have scored a lot more than the 12 points he has with better luck. Championship points: 12 (12th) Qualifying record: 6-4 loss to Albon 10th=: Oliver Bearman, Haas – 79pts Like his team-mate's season so far (and indeed his team's), Bearman's 2025 has been up and down. There have been errors, but that is to be expected from a rookie. The high point is a run of three top-10 finishes in a row from China to Bahrain. Needs to improve his one-lap pace to make Sundays easier. Championship points: 6 (16th) Qualifying record: 7-3 loss to Ocon 10th=: Esteban Ocon, Haas – 79pts Ocon has scored more points than Bearman by 20 to six but his lows, especially when the car has not been to his liking, have been particularly low. Now he is getting used to the Haas VF-25 he is starting to make that experience show. Fifth in China and seventh in Monaco show he still adds value to a team as he approaches a decade in F1. Championship points: 20 (9th) Qualifying record: 7-3 win over Bearman 9th: Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes – 90pts Like many of the other rookies this year there have been a few crashes for Antonelli. He is yet to finish ahead of team-mate Russell in a grand prix, or in any race, but has out-qualified him twice out of 10 sessions. Has scored points steadily and consistently, only genuinely struggling in Bahrain and Monaco. His Miami sprint pole shows that he is the real deal. Championship points: 48 (7th) Qualifying record: 8-2 loss to Russell 8th: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari – 92pts Gone are the days when Hamilton would be almost guaranteed a slot in the top three of any driver rankings. After a rocky start – China sprint race aside – he has started to edge closer to Leclerc in qualifying, though has not beaten him over one lap since Shanghai. Plenty of room for improvement at Ferrari, but also for Hamilton. Not the driver he once was. Championship points: 63 (6th) Qualifying record: 8-2 loss to Leclerc 7th: Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls – 104pts That Hadjar is the top-ranked full-season among this crop of rookies (and along with Bortoleto the only true debutant in 2025) says an awful lot about how impressive the Frenchman has been. His season began by crashing out on the formation lap in Melbourne but he has since finished 11th, 8th, 13th, 10th, 11th, ninth and then sixth. In the last four rounds alone he ranks in the top three by our system. Championship points: 15 (10th) Qualifying record: 2-1 loss to Tsunoda, 6-1 win over Lawson 6th: Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 110pts Could Leclerc have done a great deal more with this problematic Ferrari beneath him? Certainly not by a great deal. He has so far claimed the only two grand prix podiums by the Scuderia and it is fair to say he has outclassed his more decorated team-mate. That should not be a surprise, but it is a great shame that he cannot fight with the two McLarens and Max Verstappen. Championship points: 79 (5th) Qualifying record: 8-2 win over Hamilton 5th: Alexander Albon, Williams – 112pts Since his move from the Red Bull stable, the exceptional Albon had been hamstrung by the quality of his Williams machinery. He had been able to stand out only on occasion, mostly over one lap. Not in 2025. With an improved FW47 Albon has excelled at nearly every race, reaching Q3 or SQ3 eight times out of 10. The only race he did not finish in the points was Bahrain. Astonishingly consistent and quick. Championship points: 42 (8th) Qualifying record: 6-4 win over Sainz 4th: Lando Norris, McLaren – 120pts In 2023 and 2024 Norris was comfortably the main man at McLaren because of his consistency. On occasion, Piastri was quicker but the instances were rare, especially in qualifying. In 2025 that has been turned on its head, with Norris enduring a mistake-strewn start as the Australian thrives. Some of that has been down to the tendencies of the MCL39 when pushed to the limit, but it is up to Norris to find a solution. His win in Monaco will be a big boost, but he must improve in qualifying to win the championship. Championship points: 158 (2nd) Qualifying record: 6-4 loss to Piastri 3rd: George Russell, Mercedes – 124pts The former Mr Saturday was Mr Consistent in the opening six rounds, as the only driver to finish every sprint and grand prix in the top five. The Mercedes has never been in genuine contention for victory, but Russell managed to sweep up whatever was left, taking four podiums in the same period. That run ended with two difficult weekends in Imola and Monaco, but almost all of that is down to problems with his car. As with Leclerc, it is a shame he is not really in the championship fight. Championship points: 99 (4th) Qualifying record: 8-2 win over Antonelli 2nd: Oscar Piastri, McLaren – 137pts Piastri's improvement from the end of 2024 has been significant. Firstly, he has addressed the significant qualifying deficit to Lando Norris (he lost 20-4 last year) and secondly the tyre management issues that held him back in his first two seasons have been eradicated. There is still the occasional vulnerability, as shown in Monaco, but he seems unfussed and unfazed by the pressure of fighting for a title. He has also shown himself to be Verstappen's equal in close combat. 1st: Max Verstappen, Red Bull – 142pts There is no doubt that Verstappen is the best driver in F1, as he probably has been for all of this decade. It is just as well the Red Bull has its problems – if it was as good as the McLaren, Verstappen would be walking the championship. Any performance references to his team-mates are largely useless because both Lawson and Tsunoda are not in his league. If the RB21 gives him a sniff of pole position he takes it. He is currently channelling Michael Schumacher in the 1990s. Championship points: 136 (3rd) Qualifying record: 3-0 win over Lawson, 7-0 win over Tsunoda
RNZ News
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Is luck playing a part in Liam Lawson's F1 season?
Liam Lawson at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, April 2025. Photo: Photosport New Zealand driver Liam Lawson dismissed talk of bad luck so far this season and it was to do so. Lawson is yet to score points in the 2025 Formula 1 Championship season and unless something changes soon he may struggle to do so. Last weekend, Lawson was unable to complete a second flying lap in qualifying for the Emilio-Romanga Grand Prix after a couple of crashes. He started the race 15th on the grid and managed to finish 14th. It was obvious his dumping from Red Bull to junior team Racing Bulls after just two rounds affected his confidence and unfortunately, since then he has been unable to put a truly positive race together to give him the boost he needs. He has had car issues, team strategies and crashes all affect his results which so far includes best finishes of 12th at China and Saudi Arabia. After the Imola race last weekend, Lawson was asked if he felt his luck was changing. "Honestly, I try not to believe in luck, but obviously it's been difficult recently," he replied. "I'll keep working hard and hope that it turns around." There is good and bad luck in sport - the weather, the draw, the bounce of the ball, or unexpected mistakes by an opponent can all affect the outcome of a race or a game. However, skill can mitigate some of the issues of luck. Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan after colliding at the Miami Grand Prix Photo: AFP In Formula 1, many crashes happen at the start of a race and often involve those down the field. There are many instances of an illegal move punishing an opponent, most get penalised but that doesn't help the victim. It is highly likely that a number of cars won't finish this weekend's round in Monaco because of the tight nature of the street circuit. Qualifying will again be crucial if Lawson is to finish in the top ten and pick up championship points. "This will be my first time racing here in Monaco in a Formula One car and it's a moment I've been looking forward to for a long time," Lawson said on his arrival in the principality. "I've raced here before in the junior categories and it has always felt incredibly special, but doing it in F1 takes it to another level. "The margin for error here is tiny, and the challenge is massive, but that's exactly what makes Monaco so special. "It's going to take a bit of time to get fully comfortable on track, so all three practice sessions will be crucial. I'm really excited to be here." Hopefully luck or just plain skill finally does play a positive part in Lawson's weekend. Every athlete, including the great ones, have bad luck at some stage. However every athlete will always tell you that preparation is key to performance, so does that mean the better prepared you are the less likely you are to have bad luck? Sporting quotes about luck: "Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get." - Vince Lombardi (NFL coaching legend). "The more you train, the luckier you get." - Simone Biles (American gymnastics champion). "I don't believe in luck. Not in golf, anyway. There are good bounces and bad bounces, sure, but the ball is round and so is the hole. If you find yourself in a position where you hope for luck to pull you through, you're in serious trouble." - Jack Nicklaus (golf great). "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan (basketball legend). Michael Jordan. Chicago Bulls. NBA Basketball. 1997 Photo: PHOTOSPORT Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Daily Tribune
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Tribune
Australian F1 driver Doohan calls for online abuse to stop
Australian Formula One driver Jack Doohan has pleaded for online abuse of his family to stop after being targeted on social media. The 22-year-old, son of former motorcycling world champion Mick Doohan, was this month dropped by the Alpine team after only six races. He was replaced by Argentina's Franco Colapinto, who finished 16th at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy on Sunday following a big crash in qualifying. Writing to his nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram, Doohan said a fake post attributed to his father had been created on there to paint the elder Doohan in a bad light. 'Please stop harassing my family. I didn't think I would have to get to this point,' Doohan wrote on Instagram alongside a screenshot of what he said was the fake post. It showed a picture of Colapinto after a crash and Doohan senior supposedly commenting, 'Very impressive'. 'Multiple Argentine outlets falsely reported the fabricated image, which triggered the online abuse of my family,' Doohan, now a reserve driver for Alpine, wrote. A separate Alpine statement also called for an end to the abuse. 'We encourage everyone to remember that behind the visor of these superhuman athletes there is a person, an individual with feelings, family, friends and loved ones,' the team wrote. 'As a team we cannot condone online abuse and urge all fans of this sport we love to be kind and respectful.' The next race is in Monaco this weekend.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Former Alpine driver Jack Doohan shares fake post targeting his father Mick Doohan, says 'Please stop harassing my family'
Jack Doohan faced online hate after Alpine replaced him with Franco Colapinto. A fabricated social media post targeting Doohan and his father, Mick Doohan, circulated online. The post falsely depicted Mick Doohan commenting negatively on Colapinto's crash. Jack Doohan has clarified that the post was fake and requested the harassment to stop. Jack Doohan was replaced by Franco Colapinto at Alpine, with the latter racing for the team for the first time in Imola. Doohan, the son of former motorcycle champion Mick Doohan , was replaced after just six F1 races—a decision that didn't sit well with many industry insiders and fans alike. Amid all this, a fake social media post was enough to trigger hatred directed toward Doohan and his father. Jack Doohan has now stated the facts and asked haters to stop harassing his family. Jack Doohan pens note for haters Jack Doohan recently shared a screenshot of his father's original Instagram Story and its fabricated version. The fake post showed a picture of Franco Colapinto's horrific crash during the Qualifying race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix , with Mick Doohan's fake comment: 'Very impressive.' Explaining the facts, Jack Doohan wrote along with the picture, 'As you can clearly see, the story circulating above is completely false. It was fabricated by Argentine fans attempting to portray me and my family in a negative light. They edited the original content to make it appear as though my father posted it, which is entirely untrue. Please stop harassing my family. I didn't think I would have to get to this point. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Complete protection with iPru All-in-one Term Plan ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo ' Image credit: Jack Doohan/Instagram Doohan also shared a picture of the original source that shared the fabricated screenshot and called it very 'damaging.' After his demotion to a reserve driver at Alpine, Doohan had said in a statement, 'We have long-term goals as a team to achieve and I will continue to give my maximum efforts in any way I can to help achieve those. For now, I will keep my head down, keep working hard, watch with interest the next five races and keep chasing my own personal goals.' Also Read: Mick Doohan defends son Jack Doohan in comparison to fellow Alpine driver Pierre Gasly Amid Jack Doohan's replacement, Mick Doohan had defended his son on social media by highlighting his race results and comparing them to his teammate Pierre Gasly. His post was misused and fabricated by the haters. Jack Doohan had failed to score any points in any of the races and had also suffered multiple car crashes. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
