Australian F1 Driver Jack Doohan Received Death Threats Before Alpine Drop
MIAMI, FL – February 27, 2026 – Formula One driver Jack Doohan revealed he was the target of death threats and faced a concerning security incident involving armed individuals prior to being removed from the Alpine F1 team last year. The revelations came in the latest season of the Netflix documentary series Drive to Survive, released Friday.
Doohan, now a reserve driver for Haas, described receiving threatening emails leading up to the Miami Grand Prix in 2025. “I got serious death threats for this Grand Prix, saying they’re going to kill me here if I’m not out of the car,” he said in the documentary. “I had six or seven emails saying if I’m still in the car by Miami, that I’ll be, you know, all my limbs will be cut off.”
The Australian driver also recounted an unsettling encounter with what he described as three “armed men,” necessitating the intervention of his police escort. He did not elaborate on the resolution of the incident or identify those involved.
Doohan made his F1 debut with Alpine at the end of 2024 but was replaced by Franco Colapinto after the Miami race, the sixth event of the 2025 season. Following his removal, Doohan publicly acknowledged online abuse directed at him and his family, suggesting the source of the harassment stemmed from fans supporting Colapinto, who hails from Argentina.
Both Doohan and Colapinto failed to score points throughout the 2025 season, contributing to Alpine’s last-place finish in the constructors’ championship.
The threats against Doohan highlight the increasingly toxic environment surrounding Formula One, a sport with a global following and intense competitive pressures. While online abuse is a growing concern across many sports, the escalation to death threats and physical security concerns underscores the need for increased safety measures and accountability for online harassment. Authorities have not commented on whether an investigation was launched following the threats.
The Guardian reported on the threats received by Doohan on February 27, 2026, coinciding with the release of the Drive to Survive episode. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/27/jack-doohan-received-death-threats-before-miami-gp-alpine-f1
Doohan currently serves as a reserve driver for Haas, according to Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Doohan
