Alpine are at the centre of one of F1’s most intriguing storylines heading into 2025. They already look ripe for a mid-season driver change.
Jack Doohan has reportedly signed a six-race contract, which clearly puts him at risk. The initial expectation is that Doohan would at least have the full year after replacing Esteban Ocon.
But if he falls short of a contractual performance benchmark in the early rounds, he could drop off the grid almost instantly. He may already have used up one of his ‘lives’ on his early debut in Abu Dhabi.
The driver applying the pressure is Franco Colapinto. Ostensibly, Colapinto has left a reserve driver role at Williams for the same position at Alpine, but he would have only done so if he thought a race seat was on offer.
Alpine finished sixth in last year’s championship after a transformative double podium finish at the Sao Paulo GP. Having leapfrogged Haas and Racing Bulls, they’re looking to rival Aston Martin for ‘best of the rest’ behind the top-four teams.
This will be Alpine’s final year as a works team. From 2026, they will buy Mercedes power units, which makes this – for better or worse – a significant chapter in their history.
F1 fans react to Flavio Briatore’s Alpine livery gaffe – was it intentional?
Unlike Williams and Ferrari, Alpine haven’t announced a specific launch date for their 2025 car. Strategies are split among the teams, with Red Bull electing not to hold an independent event.
The pre-season calendar is different this year, with F1 bringing the teams and drivers together for a livery reveal at the O2 Arena in London on 18 February. That may be the first official glimpse of Alpine’s new car.
But in a post on Instagram, executive advisor Flavio Briatore may have leaked their 2025 design. The image, shared by Speedcafe, appears to show a meeting among Alpine staff.
- READ MORE: Who is Alpine’s F1 executive adviser Flavio Briatore? Everything to know
On the table, there’s a photo of a car, albeit difficult to make out. While still blue and pink – the established branding – it’s notably more colourful than its predecessor.
One Reddit user called the seemingly accidental reveal a ‘farce’. “Next Christian Horner will leak the Red Bull livery,” a separate comment read.
But others felt it may have been deliberate. One called it ‘obviously intentional’.
Another said it was designed to ‘get people talking’, while a fellow user agreed that it was ‘on purpose’. Finally, it was suggested this was a ‘soft launch’ rather than a leak.
Alpine have already made a ‘promise’ to Franco Colapinto amid Jack Doohan battle
It remains to be seen whether testing duties for the new Alpine car will be split solely between the race drivers. Colapinto and his sponsors may be pushing for some track time, which wouldn’t be unprecedented.
Jack Doohan outpaced Mick Schumacher, a rival for the seat, before he earned his deal. A lap-time comparison with Colapinto would generate plenty of publicity.
Alpine have ‘promised’ to put Colapinto in the car if Doohan doesn’t prove himself. Even if the Australian makes it into the second quarter of the season, he will face near-constant evaluation.
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