How Alpine driver Jack Doohan reacted to questions about Franco Colapinto and why the Formula 1 team no longer allowed a third question
The current driver constellation at Formula 1 team Alpine is proving to be a hot topic even before the start of the season. At the design presentation of all teams in London, media representatives asked Jack Doohan whether he felt under pressure from the signing of Franco Colapinto – after all, Colapinto has already competed in Grands Prix and is desperate to become a regular driver again.
Doohan initially denies this, saying, “I was told that he is a reserve driver.”
Then the Australian racing driver digresses a little and points out that he is just one of 20 Formula 1 regular drivers worldwide. “Even when I was in a kart and later in Formula 3 and Formula 2, I knew that I would give anything to end up in Formula 1 one day. But Formula 1 is a shark tank. You’re always under pressure there, whether it’s from the inside or the outside.”
But he doesn’t want to be deterred by this pressure, says Doohan. On the contrary: ‘I look forward to it and embrace it. I want to enjoy my Formula 1 season.’
Williams hints at something, Briatore doesn’t deny
And that despite the fact that there has been a great deal of uncertainty since Alpine signed Colapinto. In any case, James Vowles, Colapinto’s previous team boss at Williams, explains “that the agreement with Alpine is the best chance for Franco to secure a race cockpit for 2025 or 2026”. It is certainly no coincidence that Vowles mentions the year 2025.
On Alpine’s side, little is being done to dismiss statements like these as speculation. When asked specifically whether Doohan would contest the entire 2025 season, team consultant Flavio Briatore told the newspaper Le Parisien in December 2024: “The only thing that’s certain is death.”
“We will start the year with Pierre and Jack. I can guarantee that. We will see everything else as the season progresses.”
Then Briatore also indicates: “results” are crucial for him. The former successful team principal of Benetton and Renault describes that the drivers are able to “implement the work of almost 1,000 people behind them”.
Doohan reacts irritated to a question
And so a reporter again asks Doohan a Colapinto question: whether he doesn’t feel threatened by the arrival of the Argentine whiz kid from the 2024 season, when Alpine gave 21-year-old Colapinto a multi-year contract and Colapinto himself is pushing for a race car seat again.
Doohan: “Is that a question?” The journalist affirms and repeats himself.
Then Doohan says: “Last year I was a 21-year-old replacement driver and I also had a long-term contract. But no, I don’t feel undermined. Maybe I should feel undermined. I don’t know. Actually, I don’t understand the question.”
The Alpine press office intervenes
When the next media representative asks his question, outlining an already speculated scenario in which Colapinto replaces Doohan after five or six races, the Alpine press office vigorously intervenes.
And it goes like this: “I think we’ve covered the subject of Franco exhaustively now, so let’s move on. We’ve had two questions about it now. And now please move on to something else.”
It sounds as if Alpine had an idea of what questions might be on the agenda and had decided in advance to allow only two questions about Colapinto. Above all, however, the intervention of the press department shows that for Alpine, the questions about Colapinto are a hot potato.
Team boss Oakes plays down
That’s why Alpine team manager Oliver Oakes tried to keep the issue from boiling up weeks ago. He said, “Jack is a great person and a great driver. I know that. I’ve seen him develop and we gave him a chance. I don’t want to say anything more about it.”
But then Oakes does say something, namely: “It’s never easy for a rookie to break into Formula 1. There’s no need to make things more complicated than they already are.”
