Alpine shares major update about Jack Doohan amid Franco Colapinto signing

Alpine boss Oliver Oakes has reassured that Jack Doohan would be given his fair crack, as the Franco Colapinto signing sent the rumor mill into overdrive. The French squad has signed the Argentinian to be the team's reserve driver and be a part of the outfit on a multi-year contract.

This contract has led to rumors, with multiple reports suggesting that Jack Doohan only has a six-race contract, within which, if he doesn't perform, he would be dropped and replaced. Franco Colapinto, on the other side, has been a very impressive find for the F1 paddock.

The French team, however, already has two drivers in Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan for 2025. The Australian rookie did not have the best first race for the team in Abu Dhabi last season, and with Alpine signing both Colapinto and Paul Aron, doubts have crept in on what the future holds for Doohan.

Talking to James Allen on the JA on F1 podcast, Alpine boss Oliver Oakes was quick to reassure that Jack Doohan would get a fair shake at the team. He said (as quoted by Motorsport):

"It's been a little bit harsh on Jack, some of the stuff that was written by the keyboard warriors there, and he's getting his fair crack at it next year. And I think the intention there isn't to put [pressure] on his shoulders. It's genuinely to give the team options further down the line."

Hinting at how the signings were not just part of the contemporary driver setup, but for the future squad building as well, Oakes added:

"For me F1 is fine margins. There's a load of people who are depending on a driver to deliver each weekend, and we need to make sure we've got the best drivers in the race car, not just now, but also in the future."

Franco Colapinto was first given an opportunity by Williams team boss James Vowles, and he's made the most of it by impressing everyone with the limited opportunities that he's had. With the Grove-based squad not having a slot open at the team for 2025, the Argentine was out of a place on the grid, and that's where Alpine stepped in.

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"I think Franco Colapinto made a great first impression": Oliver Oakes

Talking about the young Argentinian, Oliver Oakes was quite complimentary of the driver and said that Franco Colapinto had left a great first impression on his run with Williams. The driver had a few crashes a bit later in the season, but Oakes felt it was difficult to assess whether the reason was Colapinto's desperation to secure a seat or the car setup (as quoted by the aforementioned source):

"I think Franco made a great first impression with Williams. I think it was clear to see that he probably tried a bit too hard at the end there. How much of that was the situation he was in, where he didn't have a seat confirmed and was trying to over-impress, and how much of that was a compromise on parts on the car, that's hard to calculate. But I think the crux is he made a strong impression with the speed he showed."

Reiterating his vision for the long-term with two young and talented drivers waiting in the wings, Oakes added:

"For us as a team it's great to have that roster of two young drivers in Paul and Franco there waiting in the wings, because it's not just about 2025; 2026, 2027 is around the corner, and it's hard in F1 to plan what's going to happen and what drivers you're going to have to go in the car. For us, it just keeps everyone honest in terms of how they're performing and gives us options."

With Franco Colapinto sitting on the sidelines, there would be questions asked of Jack Doohan if he isn't able to match pace with Pierre Gasly at the start of 2025. It would be interesting to see if and when Alpine does pull the plug and give the Argentine a shot.

Franco Colapinto is one of the more impressive names from the new crop. How well he does is something that's a bit of a question mark for now.