Colapinto Arrival Sparks Alpine Uncertainty for Doohan

Jack Doohan’s Alpine seat is in jeopardy as Franco Colapinto’s potential arrival casts doubt over his 2025 Formula 1 season.

After a turbulent end to the 2024 season, marked by Esteban Ocon’s ousting before the final race of the year, Alpine F1 appears set to begin the new season in the same vein. Chaos still seems to reign in Enstone, where Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan are slated to drive the 24 races of 2025.

In Abu Dhabi, rumours suggested Alpine planned to drop Doohan even before the season started, to make room for Franco Colapinto, whom Flavio Briatore and Oliver Oakes aimed to recruit at Williams, evidently impressed by his late-2024 form. However, after the Abu Dhabi race, Alpine insisted Doohan’s position was not under threat. Nevertheless, the notion of bringing Colapinto into the team has not been forgotten, and it poses a clear danger to the younger of Alpine’s two incumbents.

Indeed, Alpine is said to be on the verge of signing the Argentine to serve as a backup. Regardless of Alpine’s statements, trust in Doohan may not be absolute, and Colapinto would be ready should the team’s new driver disappoint. And since Alpine’s recent policy has been puzzling—driven by a Flavio Briatore seemingly more interested in his own goals than the squad’s—yet another shadow driver might join Alpine F1 this year.

Surprisingly, Ryo Hirakawa could become the team’s third driver, a role already held by Paul Aron. The Japanese driver would bring similar responsibilities, aiming to cement the connection between Toyota and Hitech, the outfit founded by Oakes. An announcement regarding this move could arrive in the next few hours.

Instead of a Young Driver, Montoya Backs Pérez

Should Doohan’s signing prove disappointing or even disastrous, Juan Pablo Montoya suggests Alpine should turn to a seasoned driver, namely Sergio Pérez, whom Red Bull dropped for 2025—a decision the Colombian had hoped wouldn’t occur at last year’s end.

“I tried really hard, thinking Red Bull wouldn’t let him go because, when they met the board and saw the figures, they would’ve stuck with him for a year and ultimately released him at the end of the season,” Montoya said.

“I assume the numbers had to be very high to persuade him. From the gossip I’ve heard, the parting wasn’t that friendly. The sabbatical idea must be part of the negotiation so Checo doesn’t call time on his career.”

“Publicly, it appears he’ll take a sabbatical to look for options for the following year, which he has to say. Flavio Briatore and Alpine quickly set their sights on Colapinto, who no longer has a seat. In F1, things aren’t black and white; they’re grey.”

“On one side, there’s Doohan, who has a contract and theoretically needs to perform well to stay. On the other, many people assume Colapinto is already the one who’ll replace him, but when everyone was considering Colapinto, Checo wasn’t on the table. Checo is the best option for Alpine if necessary.”

However, Montoya doesn’t believe Doohan is in immediate danger: “There’s a lot of talk about Colapinto possibly taking that seat, but it all depends on Doohan’s performance. From what I’ve heard, Doohan has the seat locked in for several races, and if it doesn’t go well, they can look elsewhere.”

As for Colapinto, the Colombian foresees him heading back to Williams to replace Alex Albon: “Franco will end up at Williams. The two who’ll struggle next year are Jack Doohan, because Pierre Gasly is very strong, and Alex Albon. He’s in the same position he was in with Max.”

“At Williams, everything will revolve around Carlos. That’s what Alex has experienced these past years. When you’ve been number one and become number two, yet must still match the same pace, the pressure mounts, mistakes occur, and that could be Franco’s chance.”