Latest news with #JackDoohan
New York Times
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
How life in F1 forced Ollie Bearman to evolve — as a driver and a person
Of the six full-season rookies in Formula 1 this year, three of them lined up on the grid for the first race in Australia with a sense of familiarity. After all, it was not their debut. Liam Lawson had already appeared in 11 races through 2023 and 2024, meaning his 'rookie' label was long-shaken. Jack Doohan, meanwhile, got the nod for the final race of last year at Alpine. Advertisement Ollie Bearman had already made three starts — including a star turn as a last-minute stand-in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in Jeddah last year, where his seventh-place finish stood him out as a great future prospect. Between that and his two substitute appearances at Haas in 2024, the team he'd signed to race for this year, plenty was expected of the young man from Chelmsford, England. But Bearman would only truly experience the highs and lows of life in F1's intense championship spotlight once he was racing full-time. As good as those handful of 2024 outings were, they would never be enough to make up for his inexperience. 'Not being (called) a rookie was a bit harsh,' Bearman told The Athletic. 'Because I felt very much like a rookie, particularly at the start of the year.' There were a number of adjustments Bearman had to deal with, just like his fellow Formula 2 graduates. There are new, challenging tracks, such as Miami or Japan, that never appeared on the calendars of their junior career entries. And the demands of being an F1 driver, like extra media duties and sponsor commitments, meant he was being pulled in many more directions. 'It's certainly been a big change — more exposure, more eyes on you, more questions to answer, less time focusing on the driving,' Bearman said. 'It's difficult to be prepared for the race weekend when a lot (beforehand) is not actually spent looking at data and stuff like that.' In F2, the Thursday before a race weekend would be dedicated entirely to reviewing data and walking a track. Now, Bearman said he'd be doing 'very well' if he got to spend an hour with his engineers on a Thursday in race week. 'It's just the realities of the new life,' Bearman said. 'You can't complain about it.' A tricky opening weekend in Australia didn't help Bearman settle in. He crashed in first practice, damaging his car so much that he couldn't take part in FP2. He spun into the gravel in FP3 the next day and was then sidelined by a gearbox issue in qualifying. He crossed the finish line as the last classified finisher in 14th. Advertisement A disappointing start, but one he responded well to at the next race in China. A spirited charge to eighth started a three-race run of points finishes. Of all the rookies, Bearman was perhaps the best-known to F1 fans thanks to his sporadic performances last year. But he felt there was a need to manage expectations early in 2025, to ensure his successful cameos last year weren't the bar he was anticipated to reach every time he went out on-track as a full-time racer. He especially had to remind himself. 'Last year I had it pretty… not easy, but I scored points in two out of the three races, and in the third one I was in Q3 fighting for points again,' Bearman said. 'So, I'm realizing that in a full season, there's many more variables that can happen. A lot more can go against you. 'Even if I'm doing a really good job in terms of my personal performance, it's not always reflected in the results. It's difficult not to get down about stuff like that.' With a Haas car that has fluctuating performance levels, swinging from fighting to lead the midfield to propping up the qualifying results, Bearman had to come to terms with factors outside of his control that would lead to a poor result. Haas is seventh in the constructors' standings with 29 points, but 20 of those came in the first four races. Bearman has no points since the Bahrain GP in April, but has finished 11th in the past two races. 'Sometimes I feel like I've had really good weekends personally, and I finished P15, so sometimes it's really difficult,' Bearman said. It's not like F2, a single car spec series, where on a weekend that Bearman would be feeling good, he'd at least finish on the podium and maybe win a race. 'Now, a good weekend for me is P10,' Bearman said. 'It's an adjustment.' It may seem counterintuitive, but it means direct results aren't the best gauge for Bearman's performances in 2025. 'At this stage in my career, it's not going to really change the future in a big way,' he said. 'Of course, I want to score as many points as I can for the team and for myself. But I think a more pertinent indicator is my performance.' Advertisement There have been positive signs, particularly with teammate Esteban Ocon, a grand prix winner in his eighth full F1 season, across the garage. He's someone who Bearman has enjoyed working with so far. Ocon has outscored Bearman 23-6 this year, but their qualifying head-to-head is much closer at 6-5. And the average margin is a tiny 0.032 seconds in Ocon's favor, the third-closest match-up between teammates in F1 this year. As positive as that may look, Bearman felt various factors meant his qualifying results were actually 'a bit unrepresentative' this year. Even at 20, Bearman already has a strong support network around him to help deal with his new reality of life in F1. He's stepped up his training to handle the greater physical demands of F1 machinery, putting a particular onus on neck training. 'I've got to get some bigger shirts now,' Bearman said. 'Whenever I go to serious events, my top button doesn't do up! So I'm forced to be casual.' Since he was in Formula 4, the lowest level of single-seater car racing, Bearman has worked with a driver coach who also helped with mental support, but he's now taken another step. Bearman recently started working with a performance coach to 'understand the brain and how humans react to stuff,' he said. 'Not only for professional life, but also for personal life.' He noted how important mindset and mentality can be for elite athletes, sometimes even more so than physical training. 'It's just working on being the best version of myself,' he said. 'So, as much as I will spend 10 hours a week cycling, I will try to spend one or two thinking about how to react, how to perform, and how to better myself.' This has helped Bearman get used to his new life as an F1 driver. 'We spend a long time in the limelight and going from one extreme, with so many people around you, to then going home and being in your own little bubble. It's tough to adjust. Sometimes you need two different personalities to live in this world. It's interesting.' Advertisement Is that how Bearman feels? That there's an Ollie in F1 mode and an Ollie outside of the sport? 'For sure,' he said. 'Also, generally my tendency is that I've got ants in my pants, if you know what I mean? I need to always be doing stuff. Sometimes, a week off at home doing no racing, I'm like, 'what am I going to do with myself?' Because I need to be at a racetrack.' If he can't be at an actual race track, then Bearman will happily make do with a virtual one, having recently taken delivery of a new, custom-built simulator rig to have at his home in Monaco. He moved there over the winter. 'I'm really happy!' he said. 'I'm using it to train, and it's been huge.' Bearman typically races on iRacing and Assetto Corsa, but 'not all of it is super serious. It's just nice to have fun, try out new tracks, new cars. Any driving can't be a negative.' As more Gen Z drivers have joined the grid, the rise of sim racing as a viable form of practice — and fun — has become clear. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has led that charge. Born in 2005, Bearman said he 'grew up with an Xbox controller in my hand,' his favorite games being Burnout Paradise, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and F1 2012. Thirteen years later, Bearman's face is on the cover of this year's official F1 game, F1 25. 'I'm yet to see myself, but I want to go to the store and see myself on the cover,' he said. 'It's going to be crazy.' It's a new level of fame, but not one that Bearman really feels. As much as he's loved the reception from fans in F1 — he got some of the loudest cheers of the night at the F1 season launch event at London's O2 Arena in February — he's not felt a huge change in how he lives his day-to-day life. 'Fame is not really something that bothers me, or anything that I'm actually changed by,' Bearman said. 'Where I live, in Monaco, there are 18 other F1 drivers, and they're all more experienced and well-known than me. So, I can go by pretty easily. They don't notice me.' Advertisement This weekend's British Grand Prix will bring Bearman full circle. It was at Silverstone 12 months ago where Haas announced he'd be racing for the American team in 2025. Now he'll have the chance to race for real in front of a bumper British crowd, which will surely take a keen interest in his success. One thing that's striking about every conversation with Bearman is how fortunate he feels — a kid living out his dream of being an F1 driver. He gestured to the Haas motorhome around him, newly updated for this season. 'If you see where we've spent our whole careers before as F2 and F3 drivers, this is five-star luxury,' he said. 'Sometimes you have to pinch yourself with the new life that we're living and not get comfortable with it, because there's plenty of people who would love to be in this position and wouldn't think twice about taking the seat. 'It's important to keep working as hard as possible. Because your future is never guaranteed.' (Top image: Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
The Independent
26-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton shares how the latest generation of F1 drivers are different
Lewis Hamilton has highlighted the significant online abuse faced by the current generation of Formula One drivers on social media. Drivers like Jack Doohan, Yuki Tsunoda, and F2 championship leader Alex Dunne have experienced online abuse this season, with Lando Norris admitting he no longer uses social media. Doohan and Tsunoda specifically faced abuse from fans of Franco Colapinto following incidents in Imola. The seven-time world champion, who debuted in F1 in 2007, noted that the sport's increased fame and the prevalence of social media have made it more intense for today's drivers compared to his early career. Despite the challenges, Hamilton praised the maturity of young drivers in handling the weight of online scrutiny and increased demands outside the car. Lewis Hamilton reacts to 'significant' social media abuse F1 drivers face
The Independent
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton reacts to ‘significant' social media abuse F1 drivers face
Lewis Hamilton has spoken out about the 'significant' abuse the current generation of Formula One drivers face on social media. The seven-time F1 world champion, 40, is the most-followed driver on Instagram with nearly 40 million followers, but did recently unfollow everybody he previously followed on his account. Jack Doohan, Yuki Tsunoda and F2 championship leader Alex Dunne are among the drivers who have experienced abuse online this year, while Lando Norris admitted he's no longer using social media. Doohan and his father, Mick, faced abuse from fans of Franco Colapinto in Imola last month, while Japanese driver Tsunoda also was on the receiving end of abuse from the same fanbase. Hamilton, in his 19th season in the sport, believes the current staple of drivers have been 'amazing' and 'mature' in the face of online abuse. 'The times have changed,' Hamilton, who co-produced the new F1 Movie, said. 'I would say the racing space has probably got a lot busier with the fame of the sport, so it's probably more intense. 'The media is more reactive, maybe. You've got social media presence and online abuse that we didn't have when I got into the sport. 'It's been pretty amazing to see how mature the young drivers that have come in – young men that have come in – have adapted and how they've carried that weight, because it's no easy situation to be thrown into.' Hamilton made his F1 debut in 2007 – almost winning the world championship with McLaren in his rookie year – and acknowledged he is grateful now that he didn't have to deal with social media. 'When I got there, it felt like being thrown into the deep end without having the skills to keep yourself afloat,' he said. 'But there wasn't the online stuff that you could see, and that's significant. 'There are probably even more demands on the drivers today, outside of the car, than ever before.' Hamilton, who joined Ferrari in the off-season, will be eyeing his first grand prix podium at the next race in Austria this weekend, before his home race at Silverstone next week (4-6 July).
News.com.au
29-05-2025
- 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
