Jack Doohan enters his first Formula 1 season under intense scrutiny. Franco Colapinto has arrived as a ready-made replacement if he doesn’t deliver at the outset.
Ordinarily, an F1 reserve driver would be a mere backup. It may be a reliable veteran – see Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes – or an up-and-coming youngster like Arvid Lindblad at Red Bull.
But Colapinto is neither. He’s already competed in nine F1 Grands Prix (eight more than Doohan incidentally) and scored five world championship points.
There was no space for him at Williams in 2025 after the signing of Carlos Sainz. And he surely wouldn’t have traded one reserve gig for another if he didn’t see a clear path to a race seat.
Indeed, there are rumours that Doohan has only signed a six-race contract. One would imagine this is connected to Colapinto’s decision.
Axing the Australian so soon would be among the most ruthless calls in recent F1 history. Even the notoriously impatient Red Bull have tended to give drivers at least half a season.
F1 fans all say the same thing about Alpine’s Jack Doohan post amid Franco Colapinto rumours
Doohan has reported to the Alpine HQ in Enstone to begin his preparations for the season, which starts with his home race in Australia. He partners Pierre Gasly, one of the highest-rated drivers in F1’s midfield.
During his visit, he posed for a photo with Alpine’s executive advisor Flavio Briatore. It was Briatore who brought Colapinto to the team, and he’s publicly refused to confirm whether Doohan will last the season.
Alpine posted the photo on their official Instagram account, but multiple fans viewed it as a mere PR stunt. One warned Doohan to ‘watch his back’, suggesting the team were untrustworthy.
Another accused the PR department of ‘working overtime’, with a fellow fan agreeing that ‘it’s a charade and they know it’. There was a feeling that Briatore ‘was out for Jack’, even though he’s part of his management team.
“Cool. Does that mean his 2025 ends after six races?” one sceptical comment read.
“Unfortunately we all know why this post was made,” said another.
What Jack Doohan has to do to keep Alpine seat beyond six-race contract
F1 bosses won’t be overly ‘disappointed’ if Doohan loses his seat this year. That’s because Colapinto has contributed to a surge of interest in the South American market.
Doohan already saw off Mick Schumacher in the battle for the seat, but his victory is not yet complete. Alpine may carry out private tests with their reserve drive to offer a reference.
One journalist believes Doohan must match Pierre Gasly in the opening rounds to keep his drive. That may be an unrealistic objective.
Gasly has more than 150 races of F1 experience and is also a Grand Prix winner. Critics may argue that Alpine are setting their new signing up to fail given the commercial benefits of promoting Colapinto.
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