Doohan Responds to Colapinto Rumors and Praises Briatore’s No-Nonsense Approach

Jack Doohan remains calm and focused despite ongoing speculation about his seat, praising Flavio Briatore’s direct and supportive approach at Alpine.

Jack Doohan has praised Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s executive advisor, for his no-nonsense approach when asked about ongoing rumors concerning his place in Formula 1.

Since the preseason, Doohan has been the subject of speculation that Franco Colapinto, the team’s reserve driver, might take his seat. Just yesterday, Argentine sponsor YPF announced that Colapinto would be at Imola, only to slightly backtrack on the statement today.

Briatore, a known admirer of Colapinto and a tough figure when it comes to managing drivers, has earned Doohan’s respect for his straightforwardness at Alpine.

“Flavio is someone I’ve admired for a long time, and I love his direct, no-BS approach,” said Doohan. “There’s no nonsense, no jokes. You immediately understand what’s going on. I much prefer that to rumors or other distractions.”

“From the start, things were clear. He just wants me to succeed, to focus on the job, block out the noise, and do my best. Everything happens for a reason, and nothing comes up by accident.”

Doohan continued, “So, for me, it’s about staying low-key, doing the job, and distinguishing between what’s real and what’s not.”

The latest saga surrounding the Argentine sponsor is just another chapter in the ongoing media attention, but the Australian driver has taken it all in stride.

“Honestly, the worst of it was in January, before the season started, when there was the most noise. There was a lot of talk. But I think there’s a new narrative every weekend, and pretty quickly, I could tell what wasn’t relevant and what was false. I just focused on my job.”

“And to be honest, even through the tough moments, I’ve never really felt affected. I’ve been surrounded by good people, and the team has supported me a lot.”

“I never really thought about it. Sure, there’s always noise, but I was more focused on staying as concentrated as possible in the car, rather than worrying about external things. Since this issue had been around for so long, by the start of the season, I was almost immune to it. If it had started just before Melbourne, it might have bothered me more.”

Doohan has yet to finish higher than 13th in a Grand Prix, and although Alpine hasn’t had the strongest performances, a costly crash in FP2 at the Japanese GP highlighted Doohan’s inexperience. However, he doesn’t feel “targeted.”

“I think it’s just the situation. I don’t feel like I’m being targeted. It’s just how things unfold. I don’t take anything personally. It’s just the way the sport works. That’s my reality right now, and I’m sure I’ll gain more from it than anything else.”

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Doohan Responds to Colapinto Rumors and Praises Briatore’s No-Nonsense Approach Doohan Responds to Colapinto Rumors and Praises Briatore’s No-Nonsense Approach