Alpine: "Jack Doohan will have his chance despite the signing of Franco Colapinto"
Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes says the signing of Franco Colapinto as reserve driver puts no pressure on 2025 rookie Jack Doohan.
The director of the Alpine team, Oliver Oakes, assured that Jack Doohan, rookie in 2025, will have a fair chance to prove himself despite the signing of experienced driver Franco Colapinto as a reserve.
Jack Doohan already under pressure
Last summer, Jack Doohan was announced as the replacement for Esteban Ocon for the 2025 season, with an initial test planned during the season finale in Abu Dhabi to prepare for a full campaign this year.
Simultaneously, Alpine, which had already announced Paul Aron as a reserve driver, also added Franco Colapinto to its roster after reaching an agreement with Williams to attract the highly regarded young talent.
The Argentine had made his surprise debut mid-season with Williams last year, replacing Logan Sargeant, who hadn't met expectations. He had immediately impressed, scoring five points in his first four Grand Prix weekends.
However, as Williams' performance declined and Franco Colapinto was involved in several costly accidents, the team decided not to continue with him, despite Red Bull's initial interest for 2025. Despite this, the signing of Franco Colapinto seems to put pressure on Jack Doohan even before the Australian driver's F1 career has truly begun.
Oliver Oakes reassuring
But, on the James Allen on F1 podcast, Alpine boss Oliver Oakes insisted that Jack Doohan would have a genuine opportunity to establish himself, with Franco Colapinto being recruited to strengthen the team in the long term.
« Some comments towards Jack, particularly those from 'keyboard warriors', have been a bit harsh, and he will have his chance next year », declared Oliver Oakes. « The intention is not to put pressure on his shoulders. The idea is truly to offer the team options for the future. In F1, everything is played out in details. Many people depend on a driver's performance each weekend, and we must ensure we have the best drivers, not only now but also for the future. »
Explaining what Franco Colapinto brings to Alpine, Oliver Oakes added: « Franco made an excellent first impression with Williams. It was clearly seen that he probably tried a little too hard at the end of the season. »
« The question is to what extent this is due to his situation, without a confirmed seat, and his desire to impress, or whether it stems from a compromise on the car's parts. It's difficult to calculate. But the main thing is that he showed great speed. »
« For us, having two young drivers like Paul and Franco ready to step in is an advantage. It's not just a matter of 2025: 2026 and 2027 are coming quickly, and in F1, it's difficult to predict which drivers will be available and who will take the wheel. »
« It keeps everyone on their toes in terms of performance and provides us with options », he concluded.
