Franco Colapinto has faced the media for the first time since taking Jack Doohan’s seat at Alpine. The driver swap has been a source of controversy in the lead-up to Imola.
Doohan didn’t score a point in his first six Grands Prix, two of which were Sprint weekends. He did show some signs of promise, such as outqualifying Pierre Gasly in Miami, but he was involved in multiple incidents.
However, Martin Brundle would have given Doohan more time, and he’s not alone in that assessment. A quarter of a season is an exceptionally short window for a rookie to prove themselves.
Colapinto scored five points in an impressive start to his F1 career at Williams last season. However, he also racked up a seven-figure repair bill with a series of heavy crashes.
| CATEGORY | COL | DOO |
| Total races | 22 | 53 |
| Win % | 4.5% | 11.3% |
| Pole % | 0% | 9.4% |
| Podium % | 13.6% | 20.8% |
| Points per race | 4.4 | 5.6 |
Based on the performances of the two drivers in F2, a spec series, there’s little to separate them. Colapinto offers Alpine huge commercial incentives, which may have been the deciding factor.
Franco Colapinto calls Jack Doohan Alpine demotion ‘a shame’
Speaking to ESPN at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Colapinto expressed his sympathy for Doohan. It once again highlighted the ruthless nature of the F1 driver market.
Colapinto called Doohan, who’s staying on at the team as a reserve, a ‘really good guy’. Last year, he took over from Logan Sargeant when the American was dropped mid-season.
The Argentine was much calmer when he heard he was getting a second chance in F1. He let slip that he was ‘expecting’ the call to arrive at some point in 2025.
“Jack is a really good guy, so it’s a shame, isn’t it. Obviously Formula 1 is very tough, and you never ever choose when to get a seat.”
“[I took the news] much more calmly [than last year]. It wasn’t a dream, it was more of a goal. It was something that I saw as very viable.
“Although it was super positive news and I was very happy, it was something that I was expecting a little bit. It was a different feeling after they told me.”
Is Jack Doohan’s Alpine contract stronger than initially thought?
Colapinto knows he’s under pressure at Alpine from the outset. He’s only been given an initial five-race contract.
Reserve driver Paul Aron, who finished third in last year’s F2 standings, will hope he gets a chance at some point this year. Doohan is still part of the roster, and Kush Maini is also available.
The landscape at Alpine remains somewhat murky. One report this week claimed Doohan could ‘force’ his way back into a seat later this year under the terms of his contract.
Colapinto’s future may be contingent on his sponsors pumping enough money into the team. He’ll also be expected to fare better against Gasly than his predecessor.
