Jack Doohan Joins Super Formula Suzuka Test Amid F1 Career Pivot
Former Alpine reserve Jack Doohan enters Suzuka's post-season Super Formula test with Kondo Racing, signaling his serious commitment to Japan's top series after losing his F1 pathway. The move highlights growing competition among drivers seeking alternative routes to Formula 1 through Super Formula's Toyota-powered grid.
Jack Doohan has joined this week's Suzuka Super Formula test with Kondo Racing, confirming his pivot toward Japan's premier single-seater series after losing his Alpine F1 seat to Franco Colapinto. The Australian will drive the team's #3 Toyota-powered Dallara across all three test days, replacing Kenta Yamashita who moves to KCMG.
Why it matters:
Doohan's participation underscores a strategic career shift for drivers blocked from immediate F1 opportunities. With Super Formula increasingly viewed as a viable alternative pathway to Formula 1—particularly through Toyota's driver development ecosystem—this test represents a critical step in rebuilding his racing credentials. The series' technical demands and competitive field offer valuable experience for drivers seeking to prove themselves to F1 teams.
The details:
- Doohan joins Williams junior Luke Browning at Kondo Racing, forming an international lineup that replaces Yamashita and Zak O'Sullivan, who appears set for Team Impul.
- Browning will drive the #4 car on days two and three, arriving directly from Williams' Abu Dhabi young driver test.
- Newcomer focus: The final test day features drivers with fewer than four Super Formula starts, including Formula Regional European champion Freddie Slater (TOM'S) and Macau GP winner Ugo Ugochukwu (Team Impul).
- Management connections: Slater and Ugochukwu share representation with Sacha Fenestraz through ADD Management, which also represents Lando Norris.
- Other first-timers include WRC star Kalle Rovanperä (KCMG), FIA F3 racer Charlie Wurz (Team Goh), and Super Formula Lights champion Yuto Nomura (B-Max Racing).
What's next:
The three-day test features 12 hours of running across six sessions, providing crucial evaluation time for teams and drivers ahead of 2025.
- Doohan's performance could solidify his position in Kondo's 2025 lineup, potentially creating a competitive Toyota-powered squad alongside Browning.
- Successful adaptation to Super Formula's high-downforce, 600+hp machines might reignite F1 interest, following precedents like Nyck de Vries' championship-winning path to AlphaTauri.
- With Team Goh confirmed for a 2026 Super Formula return, increased manufacturer involvement could elevate the series' profile as an F1 feeder category, particularly for Toyota-affiliated drivers.