Shock F1 lifeline emerges for axed young Aussie
A sensational return to Formula 1 could be just ahead for Jack Doohan.
Following Ocon’s announcement that he is set to part ways with Haas at the end of 2026, Doohan has placed himself in prime position to argue his case to partner Ollie Bearman in 2027.
Jack Doohan was spotted in Baku with Haas. Ryan Pierse
Doohan, 23, has waited patiently for a path back into F1, but he’ll have tough competition for the seat.
The Aussie had an impressive outing at Haas’ testing of previous cars in Jerez but Ferrari-backed Rafa Camara is poised as the favourite for the second seat, the 21-year-old rookie currently sitting in second in the F2 standings.
Camara is looked well upon for his ties to Brazilian sponsors, which could provide Haas with much-needed financial support.
Other considerations include Toyota-backed driver Ryo Hirakawa, his technical partner alliance helping in the bid for the 2027 seat.
Doohan had a brief stint in the F1 main game in 2025 with Alpine, but was sensationally axed for Argentinian Franco Colapinto by manager Flavio Briatore after seven races with the team.
In 2026, Doohan joined Haas as their reserve driver after severing ties completely with Alpine.
He also raced in European Le Mans Series, taking part of the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Haas have been struggling to keep their season alive, leaving them to decide to explore other driver options as Ocon was consistently outperformed by his teammate Bearman.
Ocon only scored three of Haas’ 21 points this season.
“At the moment, I’m definitely a free agent for next year,” Ocon admitted to media in Azerbaijan.
“There are things in discussion that are out of my control. There are certain topics that are out of my control.
Alpine only kept the Aussie for the first six races of 2025. AP
“So, I will keep pushing until the end of the year and see how it goes.”
Team principal Ayao Komatsu was coy when asked about the team’s final decision for their second seat, saying the major interest in their seat has awarded them plenty of options to choose from.
Although they haven’t officially given their notice to Ocon for his axing, they also won’t announce their decision for the seat before the end of the weekend.
There are minimal seats left available in F1, Isack Hadjar’s announcement of his contract extension now locks Red Bull away for 2027.
Only the two Racing Bulls seats are left, which are imagined to go to current drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, and Fernando Alonso’s seat at Aston Martin.
Formula 1 will race this Saturday at Baku due to the country’s national day of mourning for military personnel in the second Nagorno-Karabakh War clashing with a Sunday race.
This means all track running have been shifted a day forward, with practice on Thursday night (AEST) and qualifying on Friday.
