Jack Doohan seems set for a spot on Toyota’s Tremendous Components roster subsequent yr as a part of a programme that would contain Components 1 reserve duties outdoors of Alpine.
The Australian driver, who was demoted to order standing by Alpine after the primary six races of the present F1 season in favour of Franco Colapinto, has been strongly linked with a seat on the Toyota-powered Kondo Racing outfit within the Japanese single-seater collection for the 2026 marketing campaign.
It comes amid speak that Doohan has been looking for different reserve choices in F1 with it wanting more and more seemingly that Alpine will retain Colapinto for 2026.
Doohan’s five-time motorbike grand prix world champion father Mick is understood to have held talks in latest weeks with Haas workforce principal Ayao Komatsu, whose workforce has robust hyperlinks to Toyota.
The 60-year-old was additionally noticed within the paddock throughout final weekend’s Motegi Tremendous GT season finale in an extra signal {that a} season in Japan may very well be on the playing cards for his son.
Toyota international motorsport director Masaya Kaji wouldn’t be drawn on a possible Haas position for the 22-year-old however didn’t deny the Japanese producer’s curiosity in him for a Tremendous Components drive when requested in regards to the matter by Autosport.
“There’s nothing concrete I can say now, however he is an effective driver,” stated Kaji.
The attainable arrival of Doohan is predicted to be one among a number of modifications to the Toyota driver line-up in Tremendous Components for 2026.
Jack Doohan, Alpine
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs
Two-time World Rally champion Kalle Rovanpera, whose sensational move to Super Formula was revealed by Toyota last month, seems prone to be a part of KCMG as he gears up for his first outing in December’s rookie check at Suzuka.
That may be instead of Nirei Fukuzumi, who appears to be like destined to modify to the one-car Rookie Racing workforce instead of the retiring Kazuya Oshima.
The prospect of Doohan becoming a member of Kondo raises doubts over Zak O’Sullivan’s future on the workforce, regardless of the Briton’s want to remain on for a second season.
O’Sullivan has scored factors on two events thus far this yr with a finest end of seventh coming in moist situations at Sugo in August, and sits fifteenth within the standings.
Workforce Impul in the meantime is assumed unlikely to retain Oliver Rasmussen for 2026.
The Danish former World Endurance Championship driver has struggled to make an impression since coming back from harm, with a finest end of thirteenth in 5 makes an attempt.
Impul’s different driver and Nissan Tremendous GT common Mitsunori Takaboshi has additionally failed to attain factors thus far this yr and his prospects of a second season seem bleak amid hypothesis the workforce may look to international newcomers to fill its seats.
Apart from Doohan and Rovanpera, one other seemingly newcomer to the Toyota roster for subsequent season is present Tremendous Components Lights driver Rikuto Kobayashi, who already made one outing this season for Impul substituting for Rasmussen at Motegi.
Kobayashi may very well be positioned at TGM Grand Prix, with the workforce’s two present drivers Kazuto Kotaka and Seita Nonaka poised to be dropped on the finish of the season.
TGM is known to have indicated a want to Toyota to run yet another skilled driver for subsequent yr amid its aggressive struggles this season with Kotaka, Nonaka and Hibiki Taira, who was demoted to a reserve position mid-season in a swap with Nonaka.
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