Why Alpine F1 Is Stockpiling Reserve Drivers for the Future

Why Alpine F1 Is Stockpiling Reserve Drivers for the Future

Alpine F1’s strategy shifts with four reserve drivers, securing long-term options in a fast-changing market. Oakes explains the bold decision.

Alpine F1 team director Oliver Oakes has addressed the unusual decision to sign four reserve drivers for the 2025 season, emphasizing the team’s strategy to secure future talent.

Ahead of the Formula 1 season opener in Australia, Alpine confirmed Kush Maini as their fourth reserve driver, joining Paul Aron, Ryo Hirakawa, and Franco Colapinto, who had been previously announced.

Oakes explained that this move is part of Alpine’s long-term vision, particularly in response to shifts in the driver market. He pointed to McLaren’s recent decision to extend Oscar Piastri’s contract—three years after controversially signing him away from Alpine’s junior program—as an example of how teams are locking in their future stars early.

“Paul was already in our pipeline, and when the opportunity with Franco came up, it also made sense from a forward-thinking perspective. We’ve seen how McLaren has committed strongly to Oscar. The driver market is always evolving, and for us, it was important to have solid long-term options,” Oakes stated.

Alpine’s decision to bring in Colapinto also comes amid speculation, fueled by executive advisor Flavio Briatore, about a potential promotion for him at the expense of Jack Doohan.

Oakes acknowledged the growing noise around Doohan’s future, with figures like Red Bull’s Dr. Helmut Marko publicly suggesting that Alpine could replace him before the end of the season. However, Oakes reassured that both of the team’s current drivers remain fully supported.

“Obviously, Franco has a strong fan base, and Paul has been exceptional in F2. He has also impressed in previous F1 test sessions, which makes him an exciting option for us.”

“We need reserve drivers. They play a crucial role in previous-generation car testing, simulator work, and more. Of course, as a racing driver, you don’t necessarily want someone breathing down your neck, but from the team’s perspective, we’ve made it clear that both Jack and Pierre [Gasly] have our full backing.”

Oakes admitted that having so many reserve drivers has inevitably led to speculation about Doohan’s position within the team.

“I might have been a bit too encouraging, saying he just needed time to settle. We’ve put him in this situation by bringing in multiple reserve drivers, but at the same time, it gives us more flexibility as a team.”

Despite the outside pressure, Oakes praised Doohan’s performance in pre-season testing.

“He did a solid job in Bahrain and was impressive from the start here in Melbourne. You can see his confidence growing, and that’s crucial because for young drivers, it’s not easy. A couple of early mistakes can really set you back.”

“We’ve told him to keep his head down and enjoy the process. The first race weekend comes at you fast, and the key is to stay composed.”

“But he had a great start, which is exactly what we want to see from a young driver. It’s about mastering the basics, showing steady progress. He’s been holding his own against Pierre so far, and at the end of the day, your first benchmark is always your teammate.”

Alpine F1’s Bold Move: Four Reserve Drivers, One Clear Vision

Alpine F1’s Bold Move: Four Reserve Drivers, One Clear Vision Alpine F1’s Bold Move: Four Reserve Drivers, One Clear Vision

Race Center
China Flag
Chinese GP
21 Mar 2025 - 23 Mar 2025
Free Practice 1
21 MAR 03:30 - 04:30
Sprint Qual
21 MAR 07:30 - 08:14
Sprint Race
22 MAR 03:00 - 04:00
Qualifying
22 MAR 07:00 - 08:00
Race
23 MAR 07:00 - 09:00

2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Race Results

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
57
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.895s
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+8.481s
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
+12.773s
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+15.135s
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
+17.413s
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
+18.423s
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
+19.826s
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+20.448s
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+22.473s
Pierre Gasly
11
PIERRE
GASLY
+26.502s
Yuki Tsunoda
12
YUKI
TSUNODA
+29.884s
Esteban Ocon
13
ESTEBAN
OCON
+33.161s
Oliver Bearman
14
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+40.351s
Liam Lawson
15
LIAM
LAWSON
47 DNF
Gabriel Bortoleto
16
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
47 DNF
Fernando Alonso
17
FERNANDO
ALONSO
34 DNF
Carlos Sainz
18
CARLOS
SAINZ
0 DNF
Jack Doohan
19
JACK
DOOHAN
0 DNF
Isack Hadjar
20
ISACK
HADJAR
0 DNF
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race
Date
Chinese Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japanese Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
United States Flag
United States
Miami
04 May

2025 FORMULA 1 DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
25 Points
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
18
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
15
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
12
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
10
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
8
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
6
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
4
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
2
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
1

2025 FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

1
McLaren
27
2
Mercedes
25
3
Red Bull
18
4
Williams
12
5
Aston Martin
8
6
Sauber
6
7
Ferrari
5
8
Alpine F1
0
9
Haas F1
0
10
Racing Bulls
0
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