Jack Doohan racks up four penalty points in one weekend after China GP ordeal

Alpine driver Jack Doohan managed to accumulate four penalty points over the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.

The Australian driver finished the Chinese sprint race in 20th and the Grand Prix in 13th, and although he didn't leave the Shanghai International Circuit with championship points, he did walk away with four penalty points on his super licence. Here's how.

Chinese sprint race: 10-second penalty and 2 penalty points

Doohan's first penalty of the weekend came after causing a collision with Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto, a breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 d) of the FIA International Sporting Code.

The stewards issued a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points to Doohan after they confirmed that he had attempted to overtake Bortoleto on the inside of Turn 14, but instead collided with the Sauber after locking up at the apex. The official statement from the stewards reads:

"DOO [Doohan] suggested that he was in control of the overtake but the presence of the two Haas cars and the line they took compromised his overtake attempt.

"First, as the car attempting to overtake, the responsibility was on DOO to ensure that it was done in a safe manner and in line with the regulations and the guidelines.

"Secondly, applying the Driving Standards Guidelines, DOO did not have the right to the corner at the apex and should have backed off – here, because of the speed at which he approached the corner for the overtake and the resulting lockup and understeer, a collision was caused, for which DOO was predominantly to blame."

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing, Jack Doohan, Alpine

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Chinese Grand Prix: 10-second penalty and 2 penalty points

Another incident involving Doohan took place during the Grand Prix, where he was found to have forced Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar off the track, breaching Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 b) of the International Sporting Code.

Again at Turn 14, the Alpine driver attempted to take his position back from Hadjar after he had previously overtaken him in the run-up to the corner, but ended up forcing the 20-year-old wide and off the track. The stewards determined:

"Car 7 (DOO) was overtaken by Car 6 (HAD) in the run up to Turn 14 and in trying to take the position back on the inside, DOO lost control, locked up and forced HAD off the track. We accordingly imposed a 10 second time penalty with 2 penalty points which is in keeping with the guidelines for forcing a driver off the track."

Doohan hopes to turn his luck around at the Japanese Grand Prix, which will kick off the first triple-header of the 2025 season, in two weeks.