Jack Doohan ‘can’t compete against’ Franco Colapinto in one key area at Alpine after F1 exit

Franco Colapinto has replaced Jack Doohan at Alpine after six races of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

The switch has been rumoured to happen since before Doohan’s F1 debut in Abu Dhabi last season. Flavio Briatore signed Colapinto as a reserve driver at Alpine on a long-term contract after he was impressed by his performances at Williams in 2024.

Doohan’s alleged six-race deal led many to believe that the Argentine would replace the Aussie at some point in 2025. Sure enough, after six races, with no points scored and several heavy crashes, the 22-year-old has been dropped back to a reserve role.

Alpine staff doubt Doohan will return to a race seat as Colapinto gets another opportunity to prove himself in F1. It marks the second time the 21-year-old has replaced a driver mid-season, as Colapinto came in for Logan Sargeant for the final nine races of 2024 at Williams.

Interestingly, the Argentine has only been given a five-race deal, with Alpine planning to reassess their driver pool come the British Grand Prix. Despite being given a shorter period in the car than Doohan, Colapinto has one key advantage.

Jack Doohan ‘can’t compete against’ Franco Colapinto’s commercial value and fanbase at Alpine

When Colapinto stepped into the Williams seat, the team saw several companies in Argentina coming on board as sponsors. The same has already happened at Enstone, with Colapinto set to bring Alpine significant backing, even if he is in for five races.

Speaking via F1 Nation, journalist Lawrence Barretto says Doohan ‘can’t compete against’ Colapinto’s commercial value, nor can he bring a ‘loyal fanbase’ like the Argentine can.

“Now there are obviously other factors involved beyond the performance, is that huge fanbase and the engagement Alpine will get through the Argentinian fans. They’re even more mobilised than the Mexican fans were with Checo,” he said.

“And there’s obviously the massive commercial backing that he brings to the team that we’ve already seen with the stickers on the car, that will only increase when he’s [in] a race seat.

“I think the difficulty for Jack is, it’s not just about the performance that Franco’s going to deliver over these few races that he gets the opportunity, it’s all the other factors that Jack just can’t compete against.

“He can’t bring that loyal fanbase, he can’t bring that amount of financial firepower.”

READ MORE: Who is Alpine 2025 F1 driver Franco Colapinto? Everything you need to know

What does Franco Colapinto need to do to keep his seat at Alpine?

Unlike at Williams, where Colapinto knew a race seat was off the cards in 2025 when he replaced Sargeant, the Argentine is now fighting to stay in F1 with a five-race contract at Alpine.

The team will want him to at least score points, with Pierre Gasly grabbing all seven of their points thus far in 2025. Colapinto only has to perform ‘OK’ to keep his seat beyond five races – a gut punch for Doohan, who arguably was performing at that level before his exit.

The Aussie was keeping pace with Gasly for the most part, outqualifying him for the first time at the Miami GP. While his crashes were costly, it is to be expected from a rookie.

What’s more is that Doohan’s replacement also has a reputation for accidents. Alpine staff should be worried by Colapinto’s crashes as he has had far more than Doohan from his time at Williams, costing them millions in damages.