Alpine’s Doohan stands in for Ocon in F1 Canada FP1

The Australian is no stranger to Friday outings for the squad, having previously run in Mexico and Abu Dhabi for the past two seasons as part of F1’s rules requirements for rookies to get two outings over the course of a campaign.

But the decision to run him this time in Montreal in Ocon’s car is interesting, because it comes amid the fallout of the annoyance that team principal Bruno Famin felt when his driver collided with team-mate Pierre Gasly on the opening lap of the Monaco Grand Prix.

In the wake of the Monte Carlo clash, although it was not the sole factor in the decision, it has been agreed that Ocon will leave the Alpine squad at the end of this season. He has not yet sorted out his plans for 2025, but has been most strongly liked with Haas, although is also a contender at the Sauber/Audi team.

In announcing the plans for Doohan, Famin did not make any reference to it being linked to what happened in Monaco.

He said: “With Jack’s great work in the simulator in recent races, we can count on his valuable feedback in Montreal.”

Doohan, who is focusing on reserve and simulator duties for Alpine this year after electing not to continue in F2, will be hoping that a strong performance for the team will boost his chances of securing a race with the French manufacturer for next season.

Ocon, who took to social media last week to hit out at the abuse he had received for his part in the Monaco collision, said he was looking forward to getting back behind the wheel finally in Canada and getting on with the season.

“A lot has been said in recent days, so I am very much looking forward to driving again and getting back out on track,” he said.

“My focus and energy is fully dedicated to the team and maximising our results on track, starting already this weekend in Canada.”