Flavio Briatore, the seasoned adviser for Alpine, offered a cryptic response when queried about the future of Jack Doohan in the 2025 Alpine F1 racing seat. Briatore’s silent glance at his wristwatch has ignited a wave of speculation within the racing community.
Renowned for his lineage, Doohan is the progeny of the legendary Australian motorcyclist Mick Doohan. He was announced as Pierre Gasly’s teammate for the 2025 Alpine team at the Dutch Grand Prix last year, just days before Colapinto ascended to a Williams race seat for the concluding nine races of 2024.
Williams, having already pledged their allegiance to Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon for F1 2025, left Colapinto’s future uncertain. Despite his impressive track record, it was only last month that he was appointed as Alpine’s new reserve driver. James Vowles, the team principal of Williams, had previously expressed that Alpine would provide the best opportunity for Colapinto to reclaim a race seat, potentially as soon as this year.
Rumors surrounding Doohan’s contract – allegedly covering only the initial few races of the season – suggest that Colapinto could be stepping into the Australian’s shoes in a matter of weeks. According to PlanetF1.com, Doohan’s continued involvement in the forthcoming season is contingent upon his performance, a criterion applicable to every driver on the grid.
Prior to Colapinto’s official induction into the team, Briatore had assured that Doohan would kickstart F1 2025 alongside Gasly. However, he also cautioned that a lack of performance could prompt a swift change. Doohan, on the other hand, expressed during the F1 75 launch event that he had been reassured about Colapinto’s role as the reserve driver.
Briatore, who resumed his role as an executive adviser at the Enstone-based team last summer and is widely believed to be Doohan’s manager, was present in Bahrain last week. He observed Doohan and Gasly test-run the A525, Alpine’s 2025 car. A report by the Swiss-German outlet Blick revealed Briatore’s enigmatic reaction to a question about Doohan’s future, offering a glance at his watch rather than a verbal response.
Alpine’s team principal, Oliver Oakes, sympathized with Doohan, acknowledging the pressure and uncertainty he faces. He commended Doohan’s resilience amidst the ongoing speculation about his position. Oakes believes that Doohan deserves space to prove his mettle over the initial few races and expressed confidence in Doohan’s ability to “block out the noise.”
When addressed about Doohan’s speculated six-race stint, Oakes maintained that the team had been transparent about its plans. He advocated for allowing Doohan and the team to focus on their performance. He affirmed, “We’re here to go racing the best driver in the car, the best engine in the car. We’re starting the season with Jack and Pierre, and then let’s see how it all goes.”
