Official: Colapinto replaces Doohan at Alpine for five races

Alpine has officially announced the replacement of Jack Doohan with Franco Colapinto for the next five Grand Prix races. The 21-year-old Argentine will make his debut with the French team at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola next weekend.

This change of driver, which had been anticipated for several days, is part of an ongoing evaluation of its driver lineup. Colapinto will be at the wheel of the A525 alongside Pierre Gasly for a five-race contract, covering the upcoming European triple-header (Imola, Monaco, Barcelona), then the Canadian and Austrian Grand Prix, before a new evaluation scheduled before the British Grand Prix in July.

This decision comes the day after Oliver Oakes resigned from his position as team director, suggesting disagreements within Alpine’s management regarding this change. It is now Flavio Briatore, the team’s executive advisor, who will directly oversee the operations.

An anticipated opportunity for Colapinto

Franco Colapinto has been actively preparing for this opportunity since his arrival at Alpine in January. « I first want to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to race competitively for the next five races », the Argentine said in the official statement. « I will work hard with the team to prepare for the next race in Imola and the upcoming triple-header, which will undoubtedly be intense and a great challenge for everyone. »

The young 21-year-old driver specified that he had kept fit thanks to the team’s testing program and simulator sessions at the Enstone factory. « I will do my best to adapt quickly and give everything I have to deliver the best possible results alongside Pierre », he added.

Colapinto will carry the number 43 on his single-seater and will attempt to confirm the potential he demonstrated during his stint with Williams in 2024, where he scored points twice, in Azerbaijan and the United States.

A reassessment in 5 races

The press release offers more clarity about Jack Doohan’s future. The Australian driver will remain with the team as the reserve driver. « Jack Doohan remains an integral part of the team and will be the first-choice Reserve Driver for this period, » Alpine confirmed in their statement.

This promotion for the Argentine is therefore not permanent. « Franco Colapinto will be paired with Pierre Gasly from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, ahead of a new evaluation before the British Grand Prix in July. »

Jack Doohan, who got to race at home and showed strong performances in Miami — at times outperforming Pierre Gasly — had to retire due to a collision. Franco Colapinto will now take over for a run of European circuits, which are often much more familiar to Formula 2 drivers, given the majority of the calendar is based on European tracks.

« I am extremely proud to have achieved my dream of becoming a professional Formula One driver, and I will always be grateful to the team for helping me get there, » commented Doohan.

« Obviously, this latest chapter is a tough one to take, because as a driver, my natural desire is to race. That said, I appreciate the team’s trust and commitment. We have long-term goals to achieve, and I will continue giving my maximum to contribute in any way I can. For now, I will keep my head down, keep working hard, watch the next five races with interest, and keep chasing my personal goals. »

Flavio Briatore, old-school style

As a paddock veteran, Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s Executive Advisor, is the one making decisions and speaking for the team in the absence of a team principal. He explained that the decision to place Colapinto in Doohan’s seat was based on analysis of the season’s early rounds.

« Having reviewed the opening races of the season, we have come to the decision to put Franco [Colapinto] in the car alongside Pierre for the next five races. »

Briatore insists that with the field being so tightly matched this season, the driver can make the difference, but the team’s focus is also clearly on 2026, and finding the most competitive driver possible. « With the field being so closely matched this year, and with a competitive car, which the team has drastically improved in the past 12 months, we are in a position where we see the need to rotate our line-up. We also know the 2026 season will be an important one for the team and having a complete and fair assessment of the drivers this season is the right thing to do in order to maximise our ambitions next year. »

Briatore also confirmed that the driver whose career he manages in Formula 1 — Jack Doohan — will stay on with the team while they evaluate Colapinto’s performances.

« We continue to support Jack, as he has acted in a very professional manner in his role as a race driver so far this season. The next five races will give us an opportunity to try something different and after this time period we will assess our options. »