Would it be correct for Alpine to replace Doohan with Colapinto?

All who closely follow the F1 saw him coming … Rumors about the premature dismissal of Jack Doohan de Alpine after only a handful of races in 2025 began to circulate through the paddock already last November. The name of your possible substitute is also known since then. Franco Colapinto would not leave Williams to polish the substitute bench, and it seems that he will soon be asked to get up, look and get in the Cockpit.

But isn’t it too soon to say goodbye to Doohan? Was its beginning its beginning in 2025 that it deserves to be replaced after only six days?

Our International Writers Panel has its opinion.

Doohan was sentenced to failure, why wait?

Let’s say that Jack Doohan has been under so much pressure since the beginning of his journey as a full -time pilot for Alpine – a large fed by (sometimes not so) ambiguous statements of his bosses – that it could be argued that if Alpine is right when considering his substitution is almost irrelevant. The question has always been less “yes” and more “when.”

The days of Doohan seemed counted from the beginning, and the dice seem to have been charged in favor of Colapinto. The Australian could not be oblivious to it. However, he did not do any favor by not matching the performance of his teammate on the track and when he is involved in expensive incidents, the most obvious of which was his spectacular and silly shock in Suzuka.

So, although it is true that Doohan’s seat never seemed safe beyond a few great awards, he did not show enough, and of course not as much as a collapint during his brief passage through Williams last year. (The Argentine also had some important accidents, but at least added points.) In summary, it is not a movement that presents great sports risks and could offer some attractive financial opportunities, so why wait?

– Fabien Gaillard

He had six races to prove his worth, not everyone had so much

It’s not about whether Alpine is right or not, but about the results. Jack Doohan has not really up to the height since the season began less than two months ago in Australia, and six rounds in F1 today is enough to know if a pilot can perform or not.

Let’s look at the facts. There is the narrative – a word widely used in the paddock last weekend in Miami – that Doohan has shown flashes of rhythm on a return. But Pierre Gasly has overcome 6-2 so far, sprints included, and the average difference between the two is 0.367s. If that is Doohan’s best letter, it doesn’t look too well.

Jack Doohan, Alpine

Foto: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

Regarding the races, Gasly has ended in front of Doohan in five of six major awards. If you are wondering what Grand Prix the Australian beat the Frenchman, well, it was when Gasly was disqualified by a technical infraction in Shanghai after finishing 11th, far ahead of Doohan.

On the other hand, Alpine has a pilot who has already shown to swim in Franco Colapint who knows how to launch him as deep, as he was evident when he began to compete with Williams. He ended at the points in Baku – with an appearance in Q3 – in just his second race, and again in Austin, on the way to complete his first five major awards with an average arrival position of 10.6. Doohan’s to date, although with another machinery, is 15.6.

It is true that the Argentine had a couple of important clashes in Brazil and Las Vegas, but the first one occurred in very complicated rain conditions in interlagos, while the second occurred when he was giving the maximum to enter the Q3, a scenario very different from that of a clash on a Friday in Suzuka. In addition, Alex Albon later commented last year that Williams FW46 had become more difficult to drive in that phase of the season.

One feels a lot for Doohan if this is really the end of his stage with Alpine; His situation could probably have been different if the team had not signed Colapint as a reserve pilot. But one cannot choose when it reaches F1, and the F1 does not expect anyone. After all, he has had six races to prove his worth, something that not everyone has had this season …

– Federico Factuos

Does Briatore ‘a Wurz’ now to Doohan?

The story of Jack Doohan and Flavio Briatore reminds me a lot – an Austrian – to the story of Alexander Wurz and Flavio Briatore. In early 1998, Wurz was the next great promise of Formula 1, even if only for a few months. But when he refused to sign a management contract with Briatore and fell out of favor, his career suffered a sudden decline.

Oliver Oakes, Alpine, Flavio Briatore, Executive Counselor of Alpine F1

Photograph of: Peter Fox / Getty Images

Doohan is now learning the same lesson: that it is difficult to maintain a career in Formula 1 within a team led by BriTore, unless there is full support. It could be discussed whether Doohan is a future world champion or not. Personally, I don’t believe it. But the fact that speculation about their replacement for Franco Colapinto emerged out of season, much earlier even that the first race had been played, hardly provides the stable environment type that a young pilot needs to deploy all its potential.

Would Doohan pay better if your future was not constantly questioned? Yes, surely. Would your performance be good enough to justify that Colapinto, with its talent and the economic incentives it contributes, remained out of margin? Probably not. At least not long term.

It is a pity that Oliver Oakes has not taken advantage of the numerous opportunities he has had to end the rumors once and for all. A statement that includes “today” is not a statement. Just as a compliment is not said: “Yes, but …”. That is something that Toto Wolff taught me once.

I would have liked to see how good Doohan could have been if his team had given him full confidence. But I think that ship already sailed. Poor Jack never gave a serious chance.

– Christian Neverstful

Argentina’s money will not come bad, but the first is the performance

Personally, I would like Jack to have more time, because I think you have to give rookies enough time in the seat to settle (see Yuki Tsunoda) and, according to all the indications, it is a good guy. But the F1 is obviously a brutal business, based on performance, and other debutants have shown that with current tools at their disposal, they can be expected to pay a high level immediately. That means not only showing rhythm flashes, as Doohan has done, but more constant and without problems in which teams can trust to get victorious of the most at odd battle in the center of the field of history of F1.

Franco Colapinto, Alpine F1 reserve pilot

Foto: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

For various reasons, Doohan has not yet achieved, which is a shame.

The question is now: will that regularity come in time or not? It seems obvious that it is a matter of when, not if, Colapint ends in the seat. Otherwise, why take the annoyance of getting it out of Williams, which also assumed that it would end up ascending? If the team believes that Doohan’s adaptation will require too much time, or simply will not materialize at all, then you can understand why introducing a substitute prepared before a busy European race instead of delaying the inevitable. The commercial links of Colapinto will not come badly, but I think the first thing is the performance.

– Cleier Filip

Doohan simply did not impress – and that matters in the F1

I’m very sorry for Jack. There are not many types in the Paddock as humble, educated and accessible as him, and if Miami’s career was his last one in the F1, it is really sad. Losing a job that loves and was so desperate to get is not something that is desired to anyone.

However, he must have been aware that things could change quickly if he did not meet. And in the end, he did not. Yes, as a rookie he put himself in a very difficult situation and was asked to give up immediately, but the situation would have been very different if his path to F1 would have been more successful. And you cannot separate the two parts of a race. Those who prove to be excellent in lower categories often receive more time and patience from their F1 bosses. And in most cases, they demonstrate their worth much faster than those who did not shine in previous championships.

Jack Doohan, Alpine

Foto de: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Doohan had an opportunity in the F1 as good as he probably deserved and, after all, he was in his hands to work. In extremely difficult circumstances, under huge pressure, and still had that opportunity.

Franco Colapinto’s path to F1 was not so simple either, but when he got a seat in Williams, he did exactly what the Paddock of the F1 values ​​so much: impress.

And that’s all to know …

– Oleg Karpov