Jack Doohan praised the “without bullshit” approach to Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine, when he was asked to comment on the persistent rumors concerning his place in Formula 1.
Since the pre-season, Doohan has been harassed by rumors that the Franco Colapinto reserve pilot could steal his bucket. Again yesterday, the Argentinian sponsor YPF announced that Colapinto would be in Imola, before he retracts slightly in his words today.
BRIATORE is a notorious admirer of COLAPINTO and has always been ruthless with the pilots, but Doohan praised the approach of Italian at Alpine.
“Flavio is someone that I have admitted for a very long time. And I love this brutal and direct approach. There is no bullshit. There is no joke. We understand very, very quickly what is happening. I prefer that from afar for rumors or other chinoiseries.”
“Things were clear from the start. He just wants me to succeed and that the best happens, that I forget the noise, that I forget what is going on, that I just do my best. Things are always there for a reason. Nothing is mistaken.”
“So I think it was simply a question of doing low profile, doing my job and distinguishing the true from the false.”
-The episode of the Argentinian sponsor is only the last episode of a media saga according to Doohan but the Australian took the situation with serenity.
“To be honest, the worst took place in January, in pre-season, when there was the most noise, nothing else. We talked about it a lot. But I think there was a new story every weekend, and very quickly, I knew what was not relevant and what was wrong, and I focused on my work.”
“And to be honest, despite everything, and even in difficult times, I never felt really affected. I was surrounded by good people. The team also supported me a lot.”
“I have never really thought about it. Of course, there will always be noise. But I focused more on being as concentrated as possible in the car rather than thinking about external things. This subject being recurrent for so long, at the start of the season, I was perhaps already insensitive, when if it had started a few days before Melbourne, it might be more embarrassed.”
Doohan has never finished above than 13th in GP so far, even if Alpine has not experienced an exemplary performance. An expensive EL2 accident in Japan GP also highlighted Doohan’s lack of experience, but it does not feel “targeted”.
“I think it’s just circumstantial. I don’t think I am targeted. It’s just the way things go. I don’t take anything personally. I just think that’s our sport. That’s how I’m currently living. And that’s sure I’ll get more benefits than anything else.”
