Jack Doohan’s costly Suzuka mistake ignites speculation, with Alpine eyeing Colapinto as pressure builds inside the Enstone camp.
Jack Doohan is under serious pressure—and it showed at Suzuka. The young Australian, already fighting to secure his spot at Alpine, crashed at 300 km/h after attempting a risky move straight out of the simulator.
Doohan went into Turn 1 with the DRS wide open, trying to replicate a high-speed simulation run. But this wasn’t virtual racing—and his engineers at Enstone hadn’t caught the plan.
Team principal Oliver Oakes called it a clear lapse in judgment. The result? Over $1.5 million in damage, and growing doubts about Doohan’s position within the team.
Rumors are now swirling that rising talent Franco Colapinto could replace him sooner than expected. Though Colapinto wasn’t in Japan, sources say he’s the favorite of Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore, especially to pair with Pierre Gasly.
“There’s definitely some noise around Jack’s seat,” Oakes admitted. “But he’s working hard, and so far, so good. The DRS incident was a serious miss in communication with his engineers—costly, and it could’ve ended much worse.”
“He’s staying calm and focused. Yes, there are rumors about Franco, but we’re satisfied with Jack—for now.”
Still, satisfaction doesn’t mean security.
“We always have to do what’s best for the team,” Oakes added, following a disappointing qualifying result. “In F1, every driver has to deliver. That’s the job, and they all know it.”
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes the crash shows just how desperate Doohan is to prove himself.
“You can feel the pressure. He’s trying hard to show he deserves the seat. But when you push too far, things like this happen.”
“Flavio believes Colapinto could do a better job—and that could help the whole team move forward.”
Ex-Racing Bulls boss Franz Tost echoed the concerns.
“You can’t take that corner at full speed—there was no sign of braking,” Tost said. “If that was a driving mistake, it’s a serious one. And let’s not forget—simulators aren’t the real world. You never try something like that on your first flying lap.”
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Pressure Mounts on Doohan After $1.5M Suzuka Crash Pressure Mounts on Doohan After $1.5M Suzuka Crash