The Formula 1 paddock is buzzing with speculation, centering around Australian driver Jack Doohan and his future at Alpine. Just six races into the 2025 season, multiple reports suggest that Jack Doohan is poised to be replaced by reserve driver Franco Colapinto as early as next weekend’s race at Imola. While the team hasn’t made an official announcement, the writing appears to be on the wall for the young rookie.
The chatter around a driver change has reportedly loomed over Doohan since the 2024 Williams stand-in, Franco Colapinto, joined Alpine on a multi-year deal over the winter. Rumors about Doohan’s longevity with the team began immediately after Colapinto was signed. Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes even admitted the noise was partly of the team’s own making. Despite this, Doohan reportedly stepped up to a race seat for the season under the cloud of speculation that he was only guaranteed the first six races.
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Why Alpine has had enough of Jack Doohan: How we got to this
Pressure on Doohan has intensified recently, highlighted by an incident involving Horacio Marin, the CEO of Argentinian energy giant YPF and Colapinto’s sponsor. Marin was reportedly caught saying Colapinto would be in the car “in Imola” after a TV interview, later clarifying it was wishful thinking. Oakes dismissed this as noise then and stated that Doohan was the team’s driver, for now. However, Oakes didn’t squash the idea and reiterated that the team was constantly evaluating its best choice for driver, which didn’t exactly sit well with Doohan.
While Doohan has shown flashes of promise, including out-qualifying teammate Pierre Gasly in Miami and the sprint race in China, several incidents have marred his rookie campaign. Reports suggest that the Miami Grand Prix may have been the “last straw” for Alpine’s management, edging them closer to the immediate driver change.
Jack Doohan’s race ended on the spot at the Miami GP after a Turn 1 tangle with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson. Although it was deemed a racing incident with neither driver wholly to blame, it added to a growing list of on-track issues. These include a massive crash in Suzuka practice, where he failed to close the DRS before a high-speed corner, and losing control in the wet on the first lap of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, badly damaging his car. He also faced penalties in the China sprint and grand prix, and fell out of points contention late in Bahrain.
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Alpine’s struggles extend beyond Doohan
These setbacks have not helped Alpine, which sits a disappointing ninth in the constructors’ standings, ahead of only Sauber. While the team believes its 2025 car has potential, it has only scored one points finish this year — seventh place for Gasly in Bahrain and a sprint race point in Miami due to rival penalties.
Colapinto, meanwhile, made a significant impact during his nine-race cameo for Williams last year, scoring points in Baku and Austin. While his inexperience showed in heavy crashes in Las Vegas and Brazil, he is a proven point scorer. He also enjoys considerable backing from his home country, with sponsors like Mercado Libre following him from Williams to Alpine. Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore is reportedly open to give Colapinto a chance sooner rather than later.
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Why a move to Colapinto makes sense now
The decision stems from a mix of factors: Briatore’s preference, the arrival of potential new funding linked to Colapinto, and Doohan’s inability to deliver results quickly to offset these influences. The reported “unworkable” dynamic, coupled with constant speculation and a lack of results, seems to have made a change inevitable, leading to an ugly and early end to Jack Doohan’s current race seat.
While reports suggest the swap for Imola is close to being finalized, Jack Doohan is expected to remain involved with Alpine in some capacity, possibly returning to a reserve driver role. However, his time as a race driver, for now, appears to be drawing to a close.
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