Pierre Gasly doesn’t like the ‘unfair’ thing he’s read about Alpine teammate Jack Doohan ‘all over the media’

It was already a tough start to the season for Jack Doohan when reports emerged that his seat would be under threat, following a disappointing debut in Abu Dhabi in 2024.

Doohan was drafted in at the final round to help support Pierre Gasly in Alpine’s bid to finish sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, which they achieved but not with the help of the Australian.

It then emerged over the winter break that Doohan has six races to improve his form, after Alpine signed Franco Colapinto from Williams as their reserve driver. Williams team principal James Vowles remarked that the deal was his “best chance” of being on the F1 grid, leading to questions over whether Doohan would eventually get replaced.

Doohan snapped at media when asked about the speculation during the F1 75 event, while media was also blocked from asking him questions about the situation at this year’s Autosport Awards.

Discussing the situation on the latest Beyond the Grid podcast, Pierre Gasly explains why he thinks the media has been ‘unfair’ towards Doohan.

Pierre Gasly thinks media treatment of Jack Doohan was ‘unfair’

Doohan’s 2025 campaign has got off to a rocky start so far, having crashed out on the opening lap in Melbourne and finishing P15 behind Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar who pitted twice in China.

Colapinto would likely be drafted into the car by the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix if Alpine decides to make a swap, although Gasly thinks Doohan should be given a fair shot before drawing to conclusions.

When asked if he thinks the treatment on Doohan has been unfair in the media, Gasly replied: “Yeah. I think the guy was already all over the media before he even got to race in F1. So I think you need to give the guy some time and time will tell.

“But he’s in this position because he was given the chance, because people believe in him in the first place. It’s a tough environment.

“There is always going to be pressure, there is always going to be talks. What’s unfair is the fact that not everybody gets talked the same way. This is something I don’t like.”

Stats show Jack Doohan kept up pace with Pierre Gasly

It might be easy to look at the results and come to conclusions over Doohan’s early performances, but the stats in qualifying and practice tell a different story.

Doohan is currently keeping up with the pace set by Gasly in these sessions, with the Australian beating Gasly in both FP1 and FP2 in Australia.

He out-qualified Gasly in Sprint qualifying in China, although the Frenchman would go on to beat him in the race after Doohan dropped to the back of the pack with damage.

Doohan needs a solid weekend where he is close to getting points to prove to Alpine he has what it takes to achieve their ambitions for this season, but so far it is looking like a scrappy start to what could be a shortlived F1 career.