The future of Jack Doohan in the Alpine seat for the entirety of the F1 2025 season remains shrouded in uncertainty. David Croft, a renowned commentator with Sky F1, has called on Alpine executives Flavio Briatore and Oliver Oakes to put an end to the speculation by affirming Doohan’s position. He also believes that Franco Colapinto, the reserve driver, should patiently wait his turn to race alongside Pierre Gasly.
Doohan’s position at Alpine was confirmed as a replacement for Esteban Ocon last year at the Dutch Grand Prix, just four days before Colapinto replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams for the concluding nine races of 2024. Despite Williams’ decision to engage Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon for the F1 2025, Colapinto’s stellar performance has linked him with various teams until his recent appointment as Alpine’s reserve driver.
Williams’ team principal, James Vowles, opined that Alpine provides Colapinto with the best opportunity to return to a racing seat possibly this year. Uncertainties over Doohan’s contract, reportedly covering only the initial races of the season, have fuelled speculations that Colapinto could be promoted to a racing seat within weeks. Briatore, Alpine’s executive adviser, has previously indicated his readiness to make necessary changes.
However, Doohan expressed his confidence that Colapinto remains the team’s reserve driver at a recent season-launch event held in London. The Australian’s continued participation in the new season is reportedly dependent on his performance, as is the standard for every grid driver.
During the live commentary of pre-season testing in Bahrain, Croft urged Briatore and Oakes to publicly support Doohan for the season, arguing that the latter needs more than five races to prove his mettle. Croft defended Doohan, stating that the rookie was instructed to stay out of trouble during his debut race and the result does not reflect his potential.
Doohan made his F1 debut at the final race in 2024 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after Ocon’s departure from Alpine. Despite finishing at a lowly 15th position on his debut, Croft has hailed Doohan and criticised judgments made on his performance based on his single grand prix experience.
As the F1 2025 season is set to begin with Doohan’s home race in Australia, Croft has shown his support for Doohan amid talks about this being his last race. He argued that Doohan’s qualifying performance was affected by being sent out into traffic, cooling his tyres, and losing grip. His low starting position and instructions to just bring the car home safely made his drive seem poor, which is not an accurate reflection of his capabilities, according to Croft.
In conclusion, the debate over Doohan’s future at Alpine continues. However, it seems evident that he deserves more opportunities to prove himself and silence his critics. Briatore and Oakes’ decision regarding Doohan’s position could shape the direction of the F1 2025 season.
