[Alpine F1 Team Announces Driver Change]

In a surprising move, the Alpine Formula 1 team has announced that Jack Doohan will step back from his race seat, six races into the 2025 season. The decision comes after a challenging weekend in Miami, where Doohan failed to score points despite showing strong one-lap performance.

[Doohan’s Demotion Explained]

Reserve driver Franco Colapinto will take over from Doohan for the next five grand prix weekends. The team has cited a need to rotate its line-up due to the closely matched field this year and the competitive nature of their car, which has seen significant improvements in the past 12 months.

Doohan will return to reserve duties with the team, who will re-evaluate their driver line-up after the Austrian Grand Prix in June. The 22-year-old Australian has admitted that this demotion is tough to take but vows to keep working hard and chasing his personal goals.

In a separate development, Alpine‘s team principal Oliver Oakes has resigned from his role, after having run the team alongside executive advisor Flavio Briatore since last summer. Briatore is now fully in charge of the team.

[Briatore’s Statement on Driver Swap]

Briatore stated that the decision to put Colapinto in the car was made after reviewing the opening races of the season. He emphasized that with a competitive car and the need to assess their drivers fairly, this move is crucial for the team’s long-term goals. Briatore also expressed continued support for Doohan, praising his professionalism so far this season.

The next five races will provide an opportunity for the team to try something different, after which they will assess their options. The team remains optimistic about the 2026 season and is committed to maximizing their ambitions next year.