Alpine ready to replace Jack Doohan with Franco Colapinto before Imola
The Alpine team is seriously considering replacing Jack Doohan with Franco Colapinto at the Imola Grand Prix. After six unconvincing races, the Australian driver's future looks increasingly uncertain.
Rumors had been circulating for several months in the paddocks: Jack Doohan, who was made a full-time driver this season at Alpine, might not finish the year. These speculations are now taking a much more concrete turn. Alpine is preparing a major line-up change, with Franco Colapinto about to take the wheel, potentially as early as the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
The decision would not be taken lightly, but it would be part of a sporting and strategic rationale. In six races, Doohan has struggled to impress, and his performances remain below the expectations of the French team.
Doohan, constant pressure and costly mistakes
From his early days as a starter, Doohan was operating under extreme pressure, fueled by the ambiguous statements of his team leaders. He knew that his seat wasn’t securely fixed, and that Colapinto, a promising driver seen at Williams, was waiting for his chance.
His results didn’t help: Doohan only beat Gasly once in six races, when the latter was disqualified in Shanghai, and the average qualifying gap is 0.367 seconds in favor of the Frenchman. His avoidable crash in Suzuka also left an impression, casting doubt on his ability to handle pressure at the highest level.
Colapinto, a rise in power already noticed
Franco Colapinto, for his part, has already proven his worth during his short stint with Williams in 2024. In five Grand Prix races, he scored points in Baku and Austin, with an average of 10.6 in races, compared to 15.6 for Doohan this season.
Certainly, the Argentine also experienced incidents, notably at Interlagos in the rain and in Las Vegas during qualifying. However, his risk-taking was often praised, particularly by Alex Albon, who highlighted at the time the increasing difficulties of the FW46 chassis.
A decision without return for Alpine
If the trend continues, Doohan could be replaced even before reaching the mid-season point. A quick decision, but one that no longer surprises anyone in the paddock, as Colapinto seems to tick all the boxes, performance, marketing potential, and return on investment.
Formula 1 waits for no one, and six races can sometimes be enough to decide a future. In Imola, a new era could well open for Alpine.
