What Doohan’s blunt response to Colapinto replacement rumours revealed about Alpine’s driver situation

Alpine driver Jack Doohan has issued a agency riposte to questions on his long-term Components 1 future with Alpine after Franco Colapinto joined the group as a reserve driver over the low season – stating he was within the Argentine’s actual place a yr in the past.

Alpine signing momentary 2024 Williams driver Colapinto as one in all its reserves this yr added fuel to rumours that suggested Doohan only has a few races confirmed with the Enstone-based squad this season.

That is harking back to speak within the F1 paddock about ex-Williams driver Logan Sargeant probably being changed early final season, nicely earlier than Colapinto finally obtained his seat.

Nonetheless, in Doohan’s case, the Australian has began only one F1 race – a shock one-off on the finish of the 2024 season instead of Haas-bound Esteban Ocon.

Doohan has since pressed on with the same old low season preparation forward of creating his full F1 bow in 2025 after he spent the early a part of the European winter again residence in Australia.

He’s mentioned to have already shaped a powerful bond with new team-mate Pierre Gasly – with the pair attending the Autosport Awards final month sporting similar buzzcuts and joking with one another all through the night.

However as they appeared in entrance of the F1 press corps for the primary time collectively as full Alpine race drivers forward of the F175 occasion at London’s O2 enviornment, it was clear that Doohan had a plan to deal with the Colapinto rumours.

When requested if the reserve driver’s deal – which was unusually announced as a multi-year arrangement with Williams back early January – added further strain going into his full rookie season, Doohan replied: “No.

“I have been informed he is a reserve driver. And I feel, regardless, you are one in all 20 Components 1 drivers on the earth. I do know once I was a go-karter [and] in Components 3, Components 2 – I’d do something to be in Components 1 and sacrifice every part.

“I do not suppose essentially, if it is somebody contained in the group, exterior the group, anybody that is performing nicely, you are all the time going to have strain in your shoulders since you’re in such a cut-throat sport.

“However no matter strain there could also be, I look ahead to having fun with that – embracing it and simply having fun with my Components 1 season.”

Doohan then gave short-shrift to a right away follow-up query on the identical subject – the Australian initially questioning the framing with a withering “is {that a} query?” – that requested if he felt undermined by Colapinto’s presence at Alpine as a “21-year-old reserve driver with a long-term contract”.

He then identified, politely however firmly, that he had been in Colapinto’s actual place the earlier yr, plus earlier than that McLaren star Oscar Piastri.

Franco Colapinto, Alpine F1 Workforce

Picture by: Alpine

“I used to be a 21-year-old reserve driver final yr,” mentioned Doohan. “With a long-term contract. However no, I do not. Perhaps I ought to? I do not know. I do not actually perceive that as a query, however yeah, positively not.”

An Alpine press attache then shut down a 3rd query on the subject, which Autosport understands was a part of the group’s pre-press convention plan to solely permit two questions on the subject.

This demonstrates that it’s a scorching subject for Alpine, which has additionally signed Toyota World Endurance driver Ryo Hirakawa as cowl for the 2024 marketing campaign.

Autosport understands it is because Hirakawa has been offered along with his present Alpine deal being framed as an actual likelihood to earn a race drive in 2026.

This means Colapinto has been supplied at the least the identical, if not the potential for driving earlier, which general amps up the strain on Doohan earlier than the 2025 marketing campaign has even began.

Gasly, in any case, is vital to the group’s long-term future and produced one in all his finest season’s since he clinched a win and podiums for AlphaTauri again in 2020-2021.

However whereas this seems to be a deadly place for Doohan – Alpine group boss Oliver Oakes has already insisted he would get a “honest likelihood” to impress.

Jack Doohan, Alpine A524

Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures

And the group’s plan and actions in dealing with the media on the O2 on Tuesday additionally exhibit that, proper now at the least, it’s not going to hold Doohan out to dry.

Gasly, for his half, mentioned in a session with French media that “I do know Jack and I need him to do one of the best he can”.

“I do know he is a fantastic individual and a fantastic driver; I’ve seen him develop and we have given him his likelihood,” he added. “I will not remark any additional. As a rookie, it is by no means simple to get into F1, and there is no must make issues extra sophisticated than they must be.”

Gasly’s help can also be harking back to how he gelled nicely with Yuki Tsunoda throughout their time as team-mates at what’s now referred to as the Racing Bulls squad, as Tsunoda initially struggled to adapt to life as an F1 driver.

He has since gone on to safe his place at Racing Bulls and, though there may be little likelihood he’ll get promoted to the senior Crimson Bull group, has accomplished 4 full seasons regardless of the danger to his place inside a programme that famously gives little reassurance for drivers.