Flavio Briatore has now ‘taken issue’ with one theory about Jack Doohan’s Alpine F1 exit

Jack Doohan has been demoted by Alpine after just six Grand Prix in 2025, allowing Flavio Briatore to place Franco Colapinto into the car.

It was obvious this was the former Benetton and Renault boss’ intentions before Doohan had even made his debut back in the 2024 finale in Abu Dhabi. Colapinto had made an impression on Briatore with his performances for Williams, prompting him to sign the Argentine to Alpine.

With Colapinto’s long-term deal and Doohan’s alleged six-race contract, it was clear the former was being lined up to replace the latter at some stage. This put pressure on the Aussie to find form, which he struggled to do in the opening six races.

While his pace was close to his experienced teammate Pierre Gasly, Doohan failed to score points, with several heavy crashes costing him and Alpine. Rumours have been swirling all season about a potential driver swap with Colapinto – Miami was the final straw.

The 22-year-old had outqualified Gasly for the first time in Miami but was caught up in a collision with Liam Lawson at the first corner, forcing him to retire. Doohan was completely dejected over the radio – he was told before the race that he would be replaced by Colapinto.

Briatore had been pushing to get the Argentine into the car for some time, with Colapinto now being given the next five races in Doohan’s place. But the Aussie was not the only key exit from Alpine this week.

Flavio Briatore has ‘taken issue’ with theories that Jack Doohan’s Alpine exit triggered Oliver Oakes’ resignation

Hours before Doohan’s demotion was made official, team principal Oliver Oakes announced his resignation. The 37-year-old had been in his post since he replaced Bruno Famin in July 2024.

There had been some friction behind the scenes at Alpine, with Oakes and Briatore disagreeing about Doohan’s future. The former wanted to keep the 22-year-old on board, making his resignation seem rather telling.

However, Alpine cited personal reasons for Oakes’ departure, with no correlation to Doohan’s exit. Journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm says Briatore has ‘taken issue’ with theories that the duo’s departures are connected.

“There was a difference of opinion between Briatore and Oakes over what to do on drivers, with Oakes a staunch supporter of Doohan, even if he had some doubt over his ultimate potential and wary of a destabilising effect within the team by bringing in Colapinto,” he said via The Race.

“Primarily though, Oakes was known to feel that the way things were playing out undid some of the work that had been undertaken to turn things around at Enstone.

“As the team worked to prepare Doohan for his rookie season and even put him in for his debut in that 2024 finale, efforts were effectively undermined by Briatore identifying Colapinto as a necessary signing.

“Now Briatore has pushed through with his intentions and taken issue with the interpretations from many, including us, that it triggered Oakes’ resignation.

“The official line is that Oakes’ exit is unrelated and down to personal reasons rather than the driver swap being the final straw. If so, it is a remarkable coincidence, but hopefully not reflective of anything too troublesome.”

READ MORE: Who is Alpine’s F1 executive adviser Flavio Briatore? Everything to know

What impact is Franco Colapinto set to have at Alpine?

At face value, it does seem bizarre that Colapinto has only been given the next five races in the A525. Alpine plan to reassess their driver pool come the British Grand Prix.

Colapinto must perform ‘OK’ to retain his seat for the remainder of the season – a gut punch to Doohan, considering that is how he was performing besides his crashes. Given his displays with Williams last year, the Argentine has enough credentials to exceed that expectation.

He has the experience of scoring points and challenging rivals for position, which should help propel Alpine from eighth in the constructors’ championship. Furthermore, Colapinto will bring ‘significant’ backing from his sponsors in his home nation.

Colapinto posted decent times at Zandvoort in a TPC test in the A523, running close to Gasly and Esteban Ocon’s FP1 times in 2023. This will be encouraging for Alpine, who will hope to see points being scored by the second car in the next few races.