We sat down with Jack Doohan, BYS athlete, Formula One reserve driver, and someone who approaches each day with the kind of quiet discipline that makes the exceptional look routine. From his early days in the Alpine Academy to his current role with Haas, Jack has built his career the same way he starts his mornings: with intention, consistency, and a BYS coffee in hand.
In the Q&A below, Jack opens up about life as a reserve driver, the work that happens away from the spotlight, and the values that keep him grounded across more than 20 countries a year.
Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a reserve driver in F1?
My journey to becoming a reserve driver in F1 started just under four years ago. In 2022, my first year as an F2 driver, the situation with Oscar, Alpine, and McLaren meant he was no longer part of the Alpine Academy or team for the remainder of that year. So I was promoted into the reserve role earlier than expected, at the end of 2022, and stayed in that position through 2023 and 2024 before being promoted to a race driving role. Now I'm transitioning into the same position with Haas. It's quite a rich history in this role, built on a lot of simulator work and testing, which contributes to two things: being ready to jump into the car if needed, and offering a useful outside perspective from beyond the cockpit.
What are the key responsibilities of a reserve driver in an F1 team?
The first key responsibility is taking care of the media and marketing opportunities correctly. Race weekends are super busy for the drivers and we’re already overloaded with the commitments we have, so it's important to keep partners and sponsors well looked after through appearances and events. Second is making sure that we’re on top of everything that’s going on through the sessions and outside of them. We need to know exactly where the car is, what the feedback is, how it correlates to testing or to the sim work, each driver's individual feedback, and having an overview of what other people are doing. That might be related to lines, technique, driving, and any sort of third-party feedback on the driving side of things, which might otherwise be missed.
What kind of simulator work do you do to help the team and your own development?
A lot of the time simulator work is correlation-focused, seeing how the simulator in pre-race and post-race weekend period is lining up with how the car was behaving on track, so we can bring the models and simulator closer to real life which is the goal. But it also involves testing items that could be a possibility for the race weekend that we’re looking to try, or are still in development and need to be fine-tuned, really airing out the potential positives and negatives before anything gets to the track.
How important is your routine and training regime? How do you stay physically and mentally fit for racing?
First off, every one of my mornings start with a BYS coffee. It's almost religious for me, so it’s the first thing I do when I wake up. I mainly drink it hot, especially through the winter months in Monaco. I wake up as close as I can to my training time as I like my sleep, so I'll put my lycra on, put the kettle on, pour my BYS sachet into the cup, and head out onto the bike. I spend the first 15 minutes of my warm-up just rolling and sipping, enjoying my coffee. Beyond that, when I’m physically fit I’m mentally fit. When I'm sleeping well, training well, and eating well, I'm in a good frame of mind, and that helps the whole picture.
What do you see as the biggest challenges for a reserve driver aspiring to become a full-time race driver?
The biggest challenge is actually getting time in the car. If you're a young aspiring driver it’s trying to get those testing days, and getting that FP1 tie to show what you can do with the opportunities. Obviously we’re not in the car every weekend, so naturally not at the par that you could possibly be at. But as I said, staying mentally sharp, training consistently, and putting in the sim hours, you try to be in the best possible shape for when you do get those opportunities.
In Formula One, milliseconds can be the difference between standing on the podium or not placing at all. When the smallest details matter, how do you get the most out of your performance every day?
Not to keep coming back to it, but starting every morning with BYS coffee keeps me sharp and mentally on from the very start. Especially if I've had a big training session in the morning, I'll usually have my second BYS around 2:15 or 2:30 to make sure I don't drop off as the day goes on. But it’s a numbers thing right? Everything is super calculated: meal times, the exact quantity and type of food we’re eating, the specific procedures in training. Everyone has a different resume of how they get the most out of what they want to do, and it all adds up big time
Outside of racing, what do you define as your biggest personal achievement?
If I’m being honest, I don't think I've really achieved that much at this point. I have an amazing relationship with my family, my cousins, my sister, my mom and dad, uncles and aunties. I'm really, really privileged to have such good friendship, relationships and support from them. You know it's not always the easiest when you're on the other side of the world, you're sacrificing a lot and you're not in contact as much. I don't really see that as an achievement, but it’s something that I'm very grateful for and very, very happy to have. There’s a few things that I've done in times of diversity, being able to bounce back from challenges and really power through. The achievement isn’t really in the actual highs, but more how I've rebounded from the lows and continue to push on and strive, and make the most of my situations.
Why did you decide to partner with Beforeyouspeak Coffee?
I love partnering with companies that I had a genuine passion for before any professional relationship came out of it. I first tried Beforeyouspeak Coffee at the Gold Coast Wake Park, and the relationship evolved through wakeboard athlete, Lachlan. As things went further with BYS, we really saw eye to eye. The direction felt aligned, and it was really so much more enjoyable to partner with and push out something you really believe in and are a fan of which is a huge value for me. The relationship’s gotten to be much more than work, (BYS Co-Founder) Jaryd is now like family, an incredibly close friend, and he's been there and supported me through the toughest times over the last two years. I'm extremely grateful for this partnership, the friendship, and look forward to it for many more years to come.
What has been the most memorable moment of your career so far?
I would say signing my Formula One contract. The events that followed were different, but the actual enjoyment of finding out on the Monday afternoon after the Spa Grand Prix, before doing two days of testing, that I was going to be a Formula One driver in 2025 was an incredible achievement and a moment that I will cherish forever.
Your career takes you all around the world, and very frequently. What has been your favourite travel experience so far?
I really enjoy spending time in Japan, it’s one of my favorite countries in the world. I love the culture, and I love the city of Tokyo. I love how clean it is, I love the people, everyone is extremely kind and very efficient. Also Suzuka is one of my favorite tracks in the world, always will be. I have had a bit of a love-hate relationship with it over the past 12 months, but it certainly hasn't knocked my love and appreciation for it at all.
And lastly, what is your favourite BYS blend?
Can’t beat the OG. Love it! I'm very much a man of routine and familiarity, so having something that’s consistent that I can lock into, and that fits in every day is exactly what I love.