Doohan targeting “a more positive” Grand Prix outing from P18

Following a “tough day” in Shanghai, Jack Doohan is getting ready to launch from P18 for the Chinese Grand Prix, instantly shifting his focus to “having a more positive one” after a lacklustre Sprint Saturday.

The Australian started Qualifying with a disorientating spin, setting the tone of his Q1 campaign when he was forced to tiptoe back to the pitlane after jumping on the throttle too early at Turn 8.

Recovering, Doohan wasn’t able to make the desired ground up during his next attempt, only managing to set the sixteenth fastest time to leave him as one of five drivers in the elimination zone.

On his final flying lap, yellow sectors ruined his last-ditch hopes, locking him into a P18 start for the Chinese Grand Prix, with both Alpine drivers suffering an early Q1 exit in Shanghai.

“Overall, it has been quite a tough day and we will regroup as a team and focus on having a more positive one tomorrow,” Doohan said.

“We tried to maximise what we could in Qualifying despite less than optimal circumstances on the out lap and quite tight timing amongst a number of cars ahead of the final run. 

“We will analyse everything as a team and, importantly, focus straight away on tomorrow and see how we can try and make our way up the field.”

Judging by the Australian’s Sprint performance, however, the 58-lap Chinese Grand Prix may be yet another tough challenge for the rookie.

Starting from P16, Doohan managed to hold position, or thereabouts, for the majority of the Sprint, however, two bouts of contact took the Australian’s run by surprise.

Defending from a frustrated Liam Lawson, the #7 was pushed wide on the exit of the Turn 14 hairpin, with the two drivers banging wheels before the Red Bull pushed ahead.

Remaining as a steady back-marker, the Australian’s run in P16, forming part of a lengthy DRS train, came to an end on the final lap when he locked up going into the same hairpin, tagging and spinning Gabriel Bortoleto wayward just metres from the chequered flag. 

Ultimately, Doohan finished the first Sprint of his F1 career in a wounded last place.

“This morning’s Sprint Race was one where we focused on learning about the tyres and, in the end, it was a difficult one to make progress with the DRS train and quite high tyre degradation,” the 22-year-old said.

“We learned a lot from the session in preparation for Sunday’s race.”

Team Principal at Alpine, Oliver Oakes, made note of just how “competitive and condensed” the field was across Saturday’s running, with both Gasly and Doohan falling on the wrong side of that quality.

“The field is so competitive and condensed, which showed in both the Sprint and in Qualifying, with 15 cars separately by less than one second this afternoon,” Oakes said. 

“We fell the wrong side of it in Qualifying today and ultimately are missing a little at this track, particularly over a single lap. 

“With how tight the field spread is, it really exacerbates the result in either direction, if you hook a lap up or are a little bit off it. 

“From looking at the Sprint, I think we have a better car in race trim and with high degradation expected tomorrow, we hope we can capitalise on that in the Grand Prix tomorrow and make some progress.”

The team will have the opportunity to make said progress tangible when the grid lines up for the second Grand Prix of the season tomorrow.

Lights out for the Chinese Grand Prix will take place at 18:00 AEDT.

Image: Sam Bloxham/LAT Images

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