Bittersweet end for heartbroken Doohan in Asian F3
Monday 24 February, 2020
Photos: Dutch Photo Agency/Red Bull Content Pool
It’s been a weekend of heartbreak for Jack Doohan with the young Australian losing the Formula 3 Asian Championship title after tyre punctures cost him two races during the championship’s final round in Thailand.
Doohan had entered the round just 15 points shy of leader Joey Alders, having won every race in the previous round and got off to the perfect start with a pole position in the season finale’s first of three races.
However the 17-year-old’s luck ran out as he got his first puncture of the weekend, taking him back to eighth place after leading the field for a majority of the race with his title rival took out top spot.
Not deterred by his misfortune, Doohan bounced back beautifully and begun the second race in fine form, taking the lead after the first turn and quickly moving away from the chasing pack.
Unfortunately, history would repeat itself as Doohan incredibly suffered another puncture with just 90 seconds remaining. Unlike the previous race, Doohan was unable to make it to the finish line and was forced back to the pits. With Alders finishing in third – the championship had been decided and the Dutchman was crowned the champion of 2020.
In the final race of the year, the Queenslander had a bittersweet ending to the season with a vindicating victory, which secured him the championship’s runner-up position for the second consecutive year.
“Not the best end to the season. There's not a lot you can say really after what happened,” Doohan told Red Bull post-event.
“The best thing to say is that I have learnt a lot about coping with tyre degradation in this series, I also learnt how to qualify well, that's a good point. So I think those things are going to help me this year in Europe."
With the Asian Championship completed, Doohan’s focus now turns to the FIA Formula 3 Championship, which begins in Bahrain as part of the Bahrain Grand Prix on 21-22 March.