In the build-up to last weekend’s Miami GP, reports intensified about the possibility of Jack Doohan being replaced before the Imola GP. Alpine reserve driver Franco Colapinto is widely seen as the Australian’s likely substitute – should a change be implemented.
Since Doohan’s Alpine contract was announced, his position at Enstone has been precarious.
According to new information, the French outfit are strongly considering a driver swap before the next round in Italy – at Doohan’s expense.
Colapinto could replace Doohan, who was always on thin ice at Alpine
It is exceptionally rare for drivers who recently signed a contract to have their seats questioned just a few months later.
This was unfortunately the situation for Jack Doohan in January, as speculation intensified about his future.
On paper, the Australian had a contract with Alpine for 2025.
However, Alpine’s Flavio Briatore – on numerous occasions – refused to guarantee that Doohan would finish the year at the team.
He insisted that anything can happen in Formula 1. Inevitably, this did not help the speculation surrounding Alpine’s driver line-up.
In the final months of 2024, there were rumours that Briatore had entered contract negotiations with Franco Colapinto.
These reports were confirmed in January, when the Argentine joined Alpine on a multi-year contract as reserve driver.
Of course, a significant fee was necessary to break Colapinto from his existing contract with Williams.
In the context of Alpine paying millions to secure his signature (in addition to the long-term nature of their agreement), their intentions for Colapinto seemed clear.
The 21-year-old is rated very highly by Briatore, whose stance on promoting him is understood to have been unchanged.
Throughout 2025 so far, the question has been whether Doohan could do anything to convince Alpine he was worth keeping at the team.
At this stage, the consensus is that the Australian has fallen short.
Doohan shows promise, but still at risk
In many ways, Doohan can consider himself extremely unlucky to be under such scrutiny.
Considering this is his first F1 season, he is showing strong pace relative to teammate Pierre Gasly.
The Australian out-qualified his more experienced teammate for the first time last weekend in Miami.
Even before this, Doohan can be credited with consistently being within a few tenths of Gasly – a driver who is highly regarded across the paddock.
Under normal circumstances, the Australian would have no reason to be uncertain about his seat.
However, his situation at Alpine is anything but normal.
Although his efforts have reportedly impressed sections of Alpine’s trackside engineering team, Colapinto is still poised to replace him.
Driver swap could be imminent
It was last week that a major sponsor seemingly let slip that a driver swap was going to happen at Imola.
Whilst this slip of tongue cannot be validated, the noises that are emerging suggest a change could be imminent.
Alpine considering putting Colapinto in the car at the Imola GP, according to The Race.
Last weekend, Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes was asked about the rumours of a potential driver swap.
His response was not necessarily convincing in underlining Doohan’s position:
“As it is today, Jack is our driver along with Pierre…
“We always evaluate. But yeah, today that’s the case.”
These statements offer Doohan essentially no security about his position, and will do little to quieten rumours that Colapinto will take his seat.
It would be stretch to suggest there is no chance of the Australian keeping his place.
Some sections within the team have certainly been impressed by his progression.
Still, with Colapinto clearly a part of Alpine’s long-term plans, it seems that Doohan is fighting a losing battle.
