Alpine’s Potential Move: A Closer Look at Jack Doohan’s Performance and Franco Colapinto’s Arrival

Rumors about Jack Doohan’s premature dismissal from Alpine have been circulating since last November, with Franco Colapinto tipped as his potential replacement. The question is not if this move will happen, but when. Is it too early to sack Doohan? Let’s delve into the details and analyze the situation.

Jack Doohan’s Struggles in 2025

Since the start of the season, Jack Doohan has struggled to deliver consistent results for Alpine. Despite occasional flashes of raw pace, he has been outperformed by his teammate Pierre Gasly in six out of six races. The average gap between the two is 0.367 seconds, which doesn’t bode well for Doohan.

In comparison, Franco Colapinto, who had a brief stint at Williams last year, has already proven his mettle. He scored points in his second race with and completed his first five Grands Prix with an average finish of 10.6. Doohan’s performance, albeit in different machinery, is currently 15.6.

The Impact of Pressure and Uncertainty

Some argue that Jack Doohan has been under immense pressure since the beginning of his tenure with Alpine, which may have hindered his performance. However, it’s crucial to note that speculation about his replacement surfaced during the off-season, long before the first race had even taken place. This instability could have negatively affected Doohan’s ability to unlock his full potential.

It’s a pity that Jack Doohan didn’t get more time to prove himself, as he is a good guy and deserves a fair chance. However, F1 is a performance-driven business, and other debutants have shown they can deliver immediate results with the current tools at their disposal.

The Role of Team Management

The story of Jack Doohan and Flavio Briatore reminds us of the story of Alexander Wurz and Flavio Briatore. In early 1998, Wurz was Formula 1’s next big thing, but when he refused to sign a management deal with Briatore, his career took a downturn. Doohan is now learning the same lesson: that it’s difficult to sustain a Formula 1 career within a Briatore-led team unless you have Briatore’s full backing.

It would have been ideal if the team had put an end to the rumors once and for all, giving Doohan a chance to prove himself. However, it seems that the team feels Doohan’s adaptation is taking too much valuable time or may not materialize at all, leading them to slot in a ready-made replacement ahead of a busy European run-in rather than delaying the inevitable.