Jack Doohan has had his first taste of a Haas F1 car in a TPC test in Jerez. Image: @jackdooahn Instagram
The Australian drove for Haas as part of its latest Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) program, sharing running at the Spanish circuit with Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa and 2024 Super Formula champion Sho Tsuboi.
It marked Doohan’s first Formula 1 running since his stint with Alpine came to an end following the 2025 Miami Grand Prix.
Doohan joined Haas as a test and reserve driver ahead of the 2026 season after leaving Alpine at the end of last year, placing him inside a team now considering its driver options for 2027.
His Jerez run also gave him an opportunity to sample Haas machinery as speculation continues to surround who will partner Oliver Bearman next season.
Reacting to the test on social media, Doohan described it as an “Incredible feeling to be back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car,” while also thanking the Haas team for the opportunity.
Although Haas has not formally announced either of its drivers for 2027, Bearman is expected to remain for a third season while Esteban Ocon’s future remains uncertain.
Ocon has scored only three of Haas’ 21 points this season, with the team using its recent TPC running to assess several alternatives.
Before the Jerez outing, Haas conducted another test at Portimao involving Ferrari junior Rafael Camara, McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli and Hirakawa.
Camara is understood to have made a strong impression during that running, while Doohan’s appearance at Jerez has now given Haas another opportunity to evaluate one of its own reserve drivers.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu said outright pace would remain the central factor when Haas eventually settles on its line-up.
“I’ve always said we take drivers by performance, so performance comes absolutely first,” Komatsu said.
“If two drivers have got equal performance, affiliations or the packages they’ve got matter.
“But we never take somebody who is three tenths slower, but who has got affiliations with Toyota or Ferrari, or got five million more [in sponsorship].
“We’re not going to do that, so it’s all about performance first.”
Haas has links to both Ferrari and Toyota, while some of the drivers it has evaluated arrive with backing from those manufacturers or from rival teams.
Doohan does not carry the same manufacturer academy connection as several of the other candidates, but Komatsu indicated those relationships would only become significant if there was little separating drivers on performance.
“If it’s within tenths for instance – or very, very close – then the affiliation package does come into play for sure,” he said.
“I think we can choose by performance.”
Komatsu also dismissed any concern over potentially fielding two Ferrari-affiliated drivers should Bearman remain alongside another driver connected to the Italian manufacturer.
“Honestly, that doesn’t really matter to me at all,” he said.
“We really want two fast drivers because that’s the best way to grow this team.”
A decision is not expected immediately, leaving Doohan and Haas’ other options with time to strengthen their cases.
“I don’t know. Not next week, shall I say,” Komatsu said when asked about a timeline.
Formula 1 returns with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from September 24-26.