Franco Colapinto has replaced Jack Doohan at Alpine and will make his return to the Formula 1 grid with the Enstone outfit from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.
The 21-year-old made his F1 debut as a short-term solution for Williams last season after he took over the FW46 belonging to Logan Sargeant over the final nine rounds. Colapinto could not race for Williams in 2025 as they had already secured Carlos Sainz to partner Alex Albon.
So, Alpine paid Williams £8.5m to sign Colapinto, with James Vowles accepting that a move from Grove to Enstone would offer the Argentine his ‘best chance’ of racing in Formula 1 in 2025 or 2026. Vowles’ prediction has also now come true after Colapinto replaced Doohan.
Juan Pablo Montoya finds it ‘strange’ Alpine only confirmed Franco Colapinto has replaced Jack Doohan for five rounds
Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore led the move to demote Doohan back into a reserve driver role and also promote Colapinto ahead of the Emilia Romagna GP at Imola. Yet Alpine have only confirmed the Buenos Aires native for the next five rounds of the 2025 F1 season.
READ MORE: Who is Alpine 2025 F1 driver Franco Colapinto? Everything you need to know
Enstone chiefs will reconvene before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone to decide whether or not Colapinto will see out the term next to Pierre Gasly. But Juan Pablo Montoya thinks it is ‘strange’ that Alpine replaced Doohan yet only gave Colapinto a five-round deal to step in.
Montoya told AS: “It’s a good opportunity for Colapinto. It’s really good that he has another chance. The strange thing about all this is why they have to announce [he has] five races?
“That seemed strange to me. Honestly, all one can summarise is, ‘Why five races?’ Are you putting the same pressure on him as Doohan?”
Franco Colapinto only has to perform OK to stay at Alpine beyond his five-round contract
Alpine gave Doohan a total of seven rounds to convince Briatore that he should remain with the team and avoid being replaced by Colapinto. The Australian made his debut early at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when Alpine benched Esteban Ocon to put Doohan in their car.
But the Gold Coast native failed to establish himself and is one of four drivers still without a point in the 2025 F1 championship standings after the first six rounds. Additionally, Doohan has cost Alpine more in repairs than any driver in 2025, so will now act as the reserve again.
His first-corner collision with Racing Bulls rival Liam Lawson at the start of the Miami Grand Prix last Sunday could even prove to be his final race in F1. Hardly anyone at Alpine expects Doohan will return to the field given Briatore believes Colapinto is the future of Formula 1.
The Argentine has also already shown Briatore that he can deliver after scoring points with Williams twice last term. He finished the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in P8 and the United States Grand Prix in P10. Last season’s meet on the streets of Baku was also his second race in F1.
Colapinto’s Zandvoort test times with Alpine were also solid compared to the lap times that Gasly and Ocon penned at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix in the A523 he drove this Wednesday. His TPC run can serve as a springboard as Alpine only want Colapinto to perform OK to stay.
