What Alpine privately said about Franco Colapinto at the Japanese Grand Prix amid possible Jack Doohan exit

It has been a torrid start to the 2025 Formula 1 season for Jack Doohan. The Aussie is under increased pressure to keep his seat at Alpine.

After three races, Doohan has failed to score points, with several incidents costing him. He crashed out on lap one of his home Grand Prix in Melbourne and picked up four penalty points to his superlicense in Shanghai.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, the 22-year-old crashed heavily in FP2 on what was his fourth lap of the circuit. Doohan was replaced by Alpine reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for FP1, giving him limited mileage of the Suzuka circuit.

The crash was caused by the Aussie’s DRS still being open heading into turn one. Alpine’s decision to drop Doohan for FP1 was criticised as he needed the experience around Suzuka in practice amid the growing pressure he is facing.

Since the start of the season, rumours have circulated that the 22-year-old could be replaced by Franco Colapinto before the summer break. Now, it seems the Argentine could be in the A525 as early as the next round in Bahrain.

F1 Oversteer reported that Doohan thought Suzuka was his last race for Alpine, adding fuel to the fire that Colapinto will be given his seat this weekend.

READ MORE: Who is Alpine reserve driver Franco Colapinto? Everything to know

Alpine gave nothing away about Jack Doohan’s future at the Japanese Grand Prix amid Franco Colapinto rumours

Ralf Schumacher says Doohan’s place in Bahrain is not guaranteed after the multitude of accidents he has already had in 2025.

Jacques Villeneuve warned Doohan about his mistakes and how they are proving costly for his future. The 1997 world champion thinks the Aussie knows his fate already, hence the errors he is making under pressure.

Despite all the noise surrounding Doohan and Colapinto, Alpine have continued to play down the speculation. While it seems more likely than ever that the former will leave before the next race, the Enstone-based outfit continued to shut down the rumours in Japan.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, F1 photographer Kym Illman chatted with Alpine at Suzuka about Colapinto replacing Doohan for Bahrain. He states that the team simply said the Argentine has a long-term deal, not giving away their plans or giving any commitment to Doohan.

“He’s certainly been under extreme pressure at Alpine, with constant rumours that Franco Colapinto was going to take his seat,” he said.

“I chatted with his team yesterday about the Franco rumours and they just reinforced the fact that he has a multi-year contract with Alpine and while there has been plenty of Franco talk, I think his courage yesterday will be well noted by the team.”

READ MORE: Who is Alpine F1 driver Jack Doohan? All to know from his girlfriend to dad

Does Jack Doohan deserve more time in F1 to prove himself?

F1 fans called for Doohan to be sacked after his crash in FP2 at Suzuka. It appeared the Aussie was still suffering the after effects on Sunday.

The 22-year-old struggled to get out of his car in parc ferme, requiring assistance from his race engineer and Esteban Ocon. Given that he was clearly knocked from the accident days later, it was admirable that he climbed to P15 in the race after starting on the back row of the grid.

Doohan has had only four Grand Prix in F1 to prove his worth, with speculation suggesting Japan was his last for Alpine. Colapinto shone against Paul Aron in a private test at Monza before the Japanese GP, which could prompt Flavio Briatore to put him into the car for the next race.

However, despite the pressure, Doohan has been close to teammate Pierre Gasly in pace – he was told to match the Frenchman to keep his seat.

When the Aussie can keep his car on the track, it is clear he can perform to standard and keep up with hs experienced teammate. But his crashes are holding him back and he will need to iron out this problem if he is afforded another chance.