However, in running Hadjar wide at one point, the stewards opted to hand Doohan a 10-second time penalty, which dropped him down the order when applied post-race.
“I’m happy to get 56 laps more than I did in Oz, that’s for sure,” he joked afterwards.
“Tough race, elbows out and, in the end, 14th on track from where we were wasn’t too bad. We kept that [Racing Bulls] car behind for 20 odd laps, a car that’s been much quicker than us all weekend, a strong Q3 running car so I think we have to be proud of that.
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“I will have to revisit the penalty because we don’t want to be giving away spots for nothing. Although P14, P16 there are no points but still [it] would have been nice. So, just going to have to revisit it and keep our heads down for Japan.”
Doohan’s time penalty meant Hadjar was initially awarded 14th, only to later inherit three spots following the post-race disqualifications of Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and the Alpine driver’s team mate Pierre Gasly.
