Jack Doohan is out of Alpine: today’s official announcement, following the resignation of Oakes, opens the doors wide for Franco Colapinto and Flavio Briatore
Jack Doohan bids farewell to Alpine — and perhaps to Formula 1 forever. The Australian, son of legendary MotoGP rider Mick Doohan, has left his Alpine seat and F1 after just six rounds. In his place steps in Franco Colapinto, the 2003-born Argentine, already introduced to the public at the end of last season behind the wheel of the Williams.
Launched by James Vowles, the signing of Carlos Sainz back in July (when Logan Sargeant was still at the wheel) had robbed Colapinto of the chance to wear the white and blue of Williams in 2025. Seizing the opportunity was Flavio Briatore — faster and certainly bolder than Red Bull, which at the time was still debating whether to retain Sergio Perez.
The Italian manager thus decided, despite the (also premature) investment in the very young Jack Doohan, to bet on Franco, who would also become the team’s third driver. But the mood within the team at the start of the season offered little optimism for Doohan, who already felt the pressure from Briatore and Colapinto breathing down his neck since Bahrain testing. Now, after six races, the former Benetton and Renault boss has approved the switch. But why?
The Alpine earthquake and Briatore’s gamble: “Franco or nothing”
We know Flavio Briatore well. His words — always blunt and never trivial — are sharp and effective. The clue that Colapinto would soon get behind the wheel of the A525 had actually come just before the Miami race, when Briatore had clearly spoken of a last chance for Doohan, as well as his idea of the “competitive pressure” an F1 driver must have.
The late-night earthquake at Alpine, with Oliver Oakes’ resignation (Oakes had been chosen as team principal in mid-2024 by Briatore himself to replace Bruno Famin), cracked the internal balance of the team and caused an unexpected shakeup. Why, then, was Colapinto not brought in from the very start? Why undermine Doohan’s confidence day after day? Questions that have only been answered minutes ago.
As reported by Gpblog.com, Briatore just spoke about signing the Argentine driver:
“After reviewing the opening races of the season, we’ve made the decision to put Franco in the car alongside Pierre for the next five races“.
“We also know that 2026 will be an important year for the team, and having an accurate assessment of our drivers this season is the right thing to do for next year. We continue to support Jack in the team, as he has acted very professionally in his role as race driver so far this season. The next five races will give us the chance to try something different, and after this period, we will assess our options”. “.
Photos: BWT Alpine Formula One Team
