Would You Rather with Jack Doohan

26 June 2023

Invicta Virtuosi Racing’s Jack Doohan is refreshed and ready to go ahead of a busy month of racing, which kicks off at Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring this weekend.

Before the Alpine Academy junior hits the track once again, Doohan gave his thoughts on staying fit, wanting to sleep in his own bed and why there’s no place like home for the Australian racer.

WEIGHTS OR CARDIO?

“Cardio 100% because we’re not really strength athletes at all, we’re endurance. Our sessions are not like 10 seconds, a minute, or five to 10 minutes, we’re an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, so we need to have that longevity and be able to stay at a high heart rate and in highly intense situations for a long time. Obviously, some strength is involved and that’s why we have to combine it, but I’m a big fan of endurance as well. I like to stay fit and lean and I love my sport, so I like that I have to run far and long.”

HOME OR MONACO GP VICTORY?

“Home race for sure, especially being from Australia, I've only ever had one to date. Fortunately, I actually live in in Monaco as my base away from home, but I don't have any family there and I don’t have my friends. I'm not in my hometown, Melbourne’s not my hometown, but I’m in my homeland. It's just something that would be so special having the home fans there supporting you as well.”

UNDERSTEER OR OVERSTEER?

“Oversteer 100%. With understeer you have to slow the car down more to get it rotated and to get it turned, especially in high speed. Whereas if you have oversteer, you can balance it out.”

GIVE UP YOUR FAVOURITE MEAL FOR A YEAR OR EAT IT EVERYDAY FOR A YEAR?

“I’d have to eat it everyday for a year! Either it would be a penne pomodoro or crispy rice, like when it’s fried. The rice is in a square with tuna and tartar on top with some soy sauce. I could smash that all day no worries, 365 days. I’d actually be very happy if I could do that, I would love to do that challenge and have it every day.”

HANDS FOR FEET OR FEET FOR HANDS?

“Hands for feet 100%, feet for hands would just be useless. You’d just have these big slabs here on your arms and toes that hardly move. Hands for feet wouldn’t actually be that bad, you could grab on to stuff with your feet. I think you’d have a lot more swimming power as well, a wider surface area so you’d be able to cup the water a little bit more, whereas your feet a just flat. If anyone says feet for hands they’re mad.”

FIRST TO ARRIVE OR LAST TO ARRIVE?

“It depends on what it is. Being first to arrive is important, still being punctual and making sure I’m there in plenty of time. I’d say first to arrive because being the last to arrive is never great. I’ve always tried to be the first to arrive, being punctual for meetings and work-related things, but I’d say I’m in the mediocre middle area for the rest.”

TOO HOT OR TOO COLD?

“Too cold because when you’re too hot what can you do, you can go to cryotherapy or sit in an ice bath. You can only take off so many layers of clothing to cool yourself down and when it’s too hot, it’s too hot. When it’s too cold, you can at least get warm. You can put on more and more layers, obviously you can get to a point where it’d be uncomfortable, but at least you can get warmer easier than you can get cooler.”

RACE SUIT THAT’S TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL?

“Too big, it being too tight would just be criminal! Too big might not look good, but at least it’s comfy.”

ROCK OR HIP HOP?

“Hip hop over rock. There’s no real solid thinking behind it, I guess I’ve just never been massively into rock, but I have an appreciation for it and for the history behind it. I listen to some rock music, but as a percentage, I listen to more hip hop.”

KARAOKE OR DANCE OFF?

“Karaoke because at least you can read the lyrics. Dancing – you have to make that stuff up on the fly, so you might as well be freestyling and rapping, so I would way prefer karaoke to that. The song Tequila would probably be the easiest, I didn’t know what it was but after it’s been explained, that’s my song.”

WIN THE INDY 500 OR THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS?

“Indy 500. I’d choose the chocolate milk; I’d demolish that for sure.”

TELEPORTATION OR ABILITY TO READ PEOPLE’S MINDS?

“Teleport. Literally on Thursday morning at like 9AM on race weekends, I can teleport to the country and I can be at the track at 9:45. I’d still get to sleep in my own bed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night and then on Sunday night after the Grand Prix, I can teleport straight back home. I could teleport to Australia and skip the 24-hour travel time, which would be pretty good. Reading people’s minds, I don’t think would be a good thing. I think it could be more harmful than good because at the end of the day, I think thoughts should be kept their own. You want to know what someone’s thinking until you do and then it’s a bad thing, so you’d probably find out how many people don’t like you. It’s just better not to know.”

OPTION PRIME OR PRIME OPTION?

“In the non-Safety Car heavy races, definitely prime option. I think all the greatest drives are done on the prime option for the comeback, going from heavy to a light, low fuel last soft stint.”

SHOEY OUT OF YOUR TEAMMATE’S SHOE OR YOUR BOSS’ SHOE?

“Really depends on who the boss and who the teammate is, but I’d have to do the teammate’s because it would have to be out of a race boot. Maybe not after a hot race, but a freezing cold one. We don’t really have a cold race anymore, but a cold Spa race, which we probably won’t have this year.”

LATE-BRAKING DIVE DOWN THE INSIDE OR SWEEP ALL THE WAY AROUND THE OUTSIDE?

“If I can dive up the inside, I’ll dive up the inside, but if the move is on around the outside of them defending, I’m 100% on the outside. I can’t choose on that. Wherever the opportunity is, if it’s outside it’s outside, if it’s inside it’s inside. Around the outside looks great and it can be great to get what needs to be done, but there’s more risk sometimes, as it’s riskier than going up the inside. I’d say if you can overtake on the inside all the time, then 100% I’d do it.”

WIN FROM POLE OR LAST?

“You always end up winning! It’s a cool story to win from last, but I’ll win from pole. I’ll keep it simple; I don’t need to do anything spectacular. 25 points are 25 points, It doesn’t matter where you start, there’s no style points for it. With pole you get 27 points.”