The Japanese Grand Prix provides Alpine with their third opportunity this season to try and get off the mark in the constructors’ championship.
After the Australian Grand Prix and the Sprint weekend in China, Alpine are the only Formula 1 team yet to score a point in 2025.
Pierre Gasly would have scored points at the Chinese Grand Prix after both Ferraris were disqualified, only for his car to be one kilogram underweight as well.
He was excluded too, but Jack Doohan has managed to pick up four points in 2025 already, unfortunately, they’re penalty points after separate incidents in both races in Shanghai.
F1 Oversteer has reported that Doohan believes the Japanese Grand Prix could be his final race for Alpine, with pressure growing on his position.
Franco Colapinto has been linked with a race seat at Alpine after joining as a reserve driver from Williams in the winter, but it’s another one of the team’s army of back-up stars who is set to shine at Suzuka this weekend.
READ MORE: Who is Alpine F1 driver Jack Doohan? All to know from his girlfriend to dad
Karun Chandhok can’t understand why Alpine are using Ryo Hirakawa at the Japanese Grand Prix
As part of Alpine’s preparations for the Japanese Grand Prix, Doohan is giving up his car to Ryo Hirakawa for FP1.
Hirakawa could join Haas after the race weekend, but given it’s his home race, Alpine want to take full advantage of the interest he’ll generate.
Pundit and former F1 driver Karun Chandok took to social media to react to the news, and was left stunned by the team’s decision.
He said: “Surely it would make more sense for Doohan to get more mileage at this early stage of the season and let the Hirakawa drive Gasly’s car?!”
Surely it would make more sense for Doohan to get more mileage at this early stage of the season and let the Hirakawa drive Gasly’s car?! https://t.co/cy2M6aFizZ
— Karun Chandhok (@karunchandhok) April 1, 2025
What’s even more strange about the decision is that Alpine are under no obligation to run a rookie in Doohan’s car this season.
Due to the fact that Doohan had only taken part in one Grand Prix before the start of the 2025 season, he technically fulfilled the role of the rookie in his car at the races in Australia and China.
It means that Pierre Gasly still has to give up his car twice at some point this season, but team principal Oliver Oakes doesn’t seem to believe that the race in Japan is the right occasion for this.
Plenty of fans reacted to Chandhok’s assessment, with one stating, ‘My thinking exactly! Not only that, but Doohan has never raced at Suzuka before. It seems like the beginning of the end for Doohan. Perhaps a switch will happen after the triple header?’
Another commented, ‘It’s a ridiculous decision. He is getting set up to fail so that they can get Colapinto into the seat quicker,’ while another fan stated, ‘They’re just waiting for another slip up to give him the axe clearly.’
READ MORE: All you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Alpine setting Jack Doohan up for failure after promising start to the 2025 F1 season
It’s no surprise that Chandhok and many of the sport’s fans are upset about the decision.
Gasly has criticised the treatment of Doohan leading up to this season when Alpine signed several young drivers who immediately put his position in the team under pressure.
Alpine’s reserve drivers are set to battle it out between the races in Japan and Bahrain to try and prove to Oakes and Flavio Briatore that they deserve a shot in the Australian’s car.
Doohan has nearly matched Gasly’s pace over one lap at both races thus far and has been slightly unfortunate up to this point, although his crash on the first lap at his home Grand Prix in Melbourne was far from ideal.
He needs a strong performance at Suzuka this weekend, but Hirakawa’s FP1 appearance immediately puts him on the back foot.
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