Jack Doohan struggles under Alpine’s pressure, while Yuki Tsunoda’s solid form still isn’t enough to earn Red Bull’s top seat.
Former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has shared a candid take on Jack Doohan’s rocky start to the season, suggesting Alpine put the young Australian in an impossible situation from day one.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, Villeneuve said Doohan was under extreme pressure even before the first race, especially with Flavio Briatore now involved at Alpine and young prospect Franco Colapinto waiting in the wings.
“Jack knew from the beginning he probably wouldn’t see out the full season,” said Villeneuve. “He was already told: ‘You’ll get a few races, but then you’ll likely be replaced.’ That kind of pressure forces a driver to push beyond the limit. You could see it in Suzuka—he was driving desperately.”
Doohan made a significant mistake during FP2 in Japan, and Villeneuve believes it was a symptom of the mental strain he’s under: “You could tell he was trying to prove he’s better than Gasly, to earn his place. But when a driver is overthinking every move, mistakes creep in. He looked tense, aggressive—pushing too hard.”
“He ran wide trying to hold the car with DRS open, on warm tyres, with a tailwind—maybe that would’ve worked on a perfect day, but not in those conditions.”
Villeneuve also weighed in on Red Bull’s driver strategy, saying they missed an opportunity with Yuki Tsunoda: “Honestly, Tsunoda should have been promoted to the main Red Bull team last year.”
“He’s been groomed within the Racing Bulls squad, which exists precisely to feed drivers to the top team. But Red Bull held back because he made too many mistakes and sometimes lost control emotionally—especially on the radio.”
As for Liam Lawson, Villeneuve was blunt: “He impressed mentally last season, very calm under pressure. But this year, he’s collapsed. There was no point in keeping him in the seat. All that does is damage the driver’s confidence long-term.”
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Doohan Cracks Under Alpine Pressure as Future Unfolds
Doohan Cracks Under Alpine Pressure as Future Unfolds