Alpine’s driver management faces criticism once again following the announcement of Franco Colapinto as their reserve driver for 2025. Jack Doohan’s future is now uncertain.
Alpine Announce Franco Colapinto for 2025
The recent announcement of Franco Colapinto’s switch to Alpine from Williams has reignited scrutiny of the team’s management of its drivers.
For Jack Doohan, a promising talent with F1 aspirations, the move represents a shift, casting a shadow over his career before it has had a chance to take off throughout the 2025 season.
The Rise of Colapinto
Colapinto’s journey to Alpine has been eventful. The 21-year-old Argentinian made an unexpected leap to F1 during his rookie Formula 2 season when Williams brought him in to replace Logan Sargeant at the Italian Grand Prix.
His debut performances saw him score points in just his second race. He consistently outperformed expectations despite a limited turn of nine grands prix.
However, his late-season crashes dampened some of the excitement around him, leading to Red Bull cooling their interest. Alpine’s persistence, heightened by Colapinto’s commercial appeal and Argentine sponsorship, secured his services on a multi-year contract as a test and reserve driver.
The decision has not only increased the French team’s talent pool but also heightened uncertainty for Doohan.
Doohan’s Uncertain Future
Doohan was already under significant pressure following a challenging Abu Dhabi Grand Prix debut. Filling in for Esteban Ocon, he struggled, qualifying last and finishing P15, while teammate Pierre Gasly scored points in seventh.
Alpine executives, particularly Flavio Briatore, have clarified that results will determine Doohan’s longevity with the team.
🚨 | Alpine are understood to have paid a significant fee to sign Franco Colapinto from Williams.
This means it’s unlikely Colapinto will spend much time on the sidelines. pic.twitter.com/0aiLsuU8oa
— formularacers (@formularacers_) January 11, 2025
Briatore’s comments reveal Alpine’s no-nonsense approach to driver performance and management:
“If there’s a driver who isn’t making progress, who isn’t bringing me results, I change him.”
This mentality underlines the precarious nature of Doohan’s short-term race contract. With Colapinto waiting in the wings, he has little margin for error. However, there is only so much a driver can do with a car that is not up to the performance a team desires.
READ MORE: Alpine target Championship contention by 2027
A Pattern of Questionable Treatment
Alpine’s driver management history, particularly regarding young talent, has been controversial.
The Oscar Piastri saga in 2022, where the team prematurely announced that the Australian would represent the team in 2023 after Fernando Alonso moved to Aston Martin, for Piastri to announce his move to McLaren instead, will never be forgotten, much to their chagrin.
Their lukewarm commitment to Doohan further suggests a lack of long-term vision for nurturing emerging drivers. Colapinto’s arrival adds another layer to this dynamic, potentially signalling a revolving door policy where drivers are cycled in and out based on short-term results rather than consistent development.
However, their ill-treatment does not stop there. Ocon, a familiar face for the Enstone-based team from 2020 to 2024, experienced his fair share of mistreatment, particularly within his final year with the team that provided him his return to the F1 grid.
Highlights of Ocon’s time there include a first Grand Prix win at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, an eighth-place finish in the 2022 Drivers’ Championship, contributing to Alpine’s fourth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship, and a second-place finish at the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Yet, after a collision with teammate Pierre Gasly in Monaco, the team seemingly sided with the latter, seeing Ocon announce his departure for Haas. The difference between the two cars led many, including Ocon himself, to believe the other garage had access to performance withheld from their side.
Doohan himself replaced Ocon at the closing Grand Prix. This supposedly represented an investment in the future, but now it seems premature. It also marks another failure attached to Alpine and its management of drivers.
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Sentiment vs. Results
The hiring of Colapinto and the uncertainty surrounding Doohan illustrate a broader trend in F1. Sentiment is forgotten in favour of immediate performance, which if you are not a top team, is difficult to navigate.
While this results-driven approach is reflective of the sport’s high stakes, it raises questions about the treatment of drivers. Especially those who may require time to find their footing, particularly if they are rookies.
For Doohan, the stakes are clear. With his future at Alpine hinging on early results, his ability to adapt and deliver under immense pressure will determine whether he becomes a mainstay in F1 or another victim of Alpine’s strategy.
Last year, home turf as a reserve driver. This year, home turf as a Formula One driver 🙌 pic.twitter.com/LGYvy9cANx
— BWT Alpine Formula One Team (@AlpineF1Team) January 11, 2025
Franco Colapinto’s move to Alpine underlines the team’s pursuit of talent. However, it comes at a significant cost to Jack Doohan’s career prospects.
In a sport where young drivers are expected to produce immediate results, Alpine’s driver management approach raises important questions about the fairness and sustainability of its strategy.
As the 2025 season nears, all eyes will be on Doohan to see if he can withstand the pressure, or if Colapinto will be the next in line to take his seat.
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