What Alpine insiders privately thought about signing Franco Colapinto amid Jack Doohan uncertainty

Franco Colapinto has been linked with replacing Alpine driver Jack Doohan since before the 2025 Formula 1 season started. But it appears the Aussie has been given time.

During the off-season, the Enstone-based outfit signed Colapinto as a reserve driver on a long-term deal. This contract was believed to lead to a full-time seat, with Doohan and Pierre Gasly signed for 2025.

However, rumours quickly swirled that Colapinto could replace Doohan before the Miami GP, with Flavio Briatore being a keen admirer of the Argentine. The former Benetton boss is notorious for mid-season driver changes and Doohan’s alleged six-race contract led many to believe one could happen at Alpine.

Doohan has yet to score points in 2025 after four races, having had two huge crashes in Melbourne and Suzuka. While he has been close teammate Gasly in pace, his accidents have proved costly.

Briatore has a ‘good argument’ to drop Doohan because of his crashes, with the damage cost eating into the budget cap. Colapinto has been eagerly waiting on the sidelines for his opportunity.

However, it appears Doohan has been afforded more time to prove his worth in 2025. Some people within Alpine also have their doubts about their latest recruit.

Some Alpine insiders were not ‘convinced’ by Franco Colapinto amid Jack Doohan uncertainty

While many people point to Doohan’s crashes as a reason for him to be replaced, Colapinto has also had his fair share of accidents. While he did impress as Logan Sargeant’s replacement at Williams in 2024, he hampered the team by writing off several cars.

Crashes at Sao Paulo, Las Vegas and Qatar led to Red Bull dropping their interest in Colapinto as they searched for Sergio Perez’s replacement. Journalist Ben Anderson says even some Alpine insiders were not keen on signing the 21-year-old.

He said via The Race YouTube channel: “Jack Doohan’s place has been under scrutiny since before his F1 career really started as Alpine’s new driver was at risk of being replaced sooner rather than later by Franco Colapinto.

“But despite all the noise and a worrying number of incidents, including two big crashes, Doohan seems to have earned a stay of execution.

“So what’s happened? Well, the situation is complicated because not everybody at Alpine was convinced about Colapinto in the first place and likewise, there is far from a unanimous feeling that Doohan needs to be replaced.”

How long does Jack Doohan have to save his F1 career?

As Colapinto sits bored on the sidelines, Alpine are set to keep their current driver pairing in place for some time.

Doohan has reportedly been given until the summer to save his seat. The Aussie cannot afford to waste this opportunity amid the intense pressure he is under.

The 22-year-old came close to scoring points at the Bahrain Grand Prix but fell back after the safety car and finished 14th. Teammate Gasly got Alpine off the mark in 2025 by finishing an impressive seventh.

Alpine engineers feel Doohan is ‘nearly there’ after his performance in Bahrain. This explains why the team do not want to drop him just yet – they want to see him continue to develop to his full potential before making a decision.