Alpine Benches Doohan for Five‑Race Audition
Just 24 hours after team boss Oliver Oakes walked away, Alpine have fired the starting pistol on a second shake‑up: Franco Colapinto will race in place of Jack Doohan for the next five Formula 1 rounds, beginning with this weekend’s Emilia‑Romagna Grand Prix. The squad says the move is part of an “on‑going assessment” of its 2025 line‑up, with a fresh review penciled in ahead of Silverstone.
Why Colapinto, why now?
Colapinto dazzled in last year’s nine‑race cameo for Williams, snaring points in Baku and Austin before signing as Alpine reserve in January. With the pink‑and‑blue car now genuinely midfield‑quick, Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore believes the Argentine deserves a proper audition. “The field is brutally tight; we need the best scoring combo we can find,” he explained when announcing the switch.
Doohan on the ropes
Doohan’s full‑time rookie campaign has been littered with high‑profile mishaps: a DRS‑open shunt at Suzuka, and that first‑lap tangle with Liam Lawson in Miami that ended his race on the spot. With just seven points on Alpine’s tally — only one clear of Kick Sauber — the team could ill afford more lost Sundays. He remains first‑choice reserve and will shadow operations trackside while refocusing in the simulator.
The road ahead
Colapinto’s trial covers some of the calendar’s most varied tests: Imola’s old‑school rhythm, Monaco’s claustrophobic streets, Barcelona’s aero yardstick, Montreal’s stop‑start chicanes, and Spielberg’s altitude sprint. Deliver there and the 21‑year‑old may well secure the seat permanently; stumble, and Doohan will be waiting in the wings when Alpine reconvenes its driver jury in July.
What it means for Alpine’s 2026 master‑plan
With new engine regs looming, Briatore insists Alpine must lock in its future pairing early. A five‑race head‑to‑head offers valuable data on how each youngster works with Gasly, meshes with the team’s upgraded simulator programme, and handles the pressure of a packed triple‑header. For Colapinto, it’s the golden ticket; for Doohan, a reminder that there are no guarantees in Formula 1.
