The Formula 1 world is abuzz as rookie Jack Doohan steps into the Alpine seat, under the shadow of speculation regarding his tenure. Reports are rife that Doohan’s inaugural season is already on shaky ground even before it begins, with rumours of his performance compared to team-mate Pierre Gasly causing concern.
In the pre-season testing, Doohan’s lap times were notably slower than Gasly’s, a situation pointed out by Julien Simon-Chautemps, former engineer for Kimi Raikkonen. The considerable gap between their performances has raised eyebrows in the F1 community, leading to speculation that Doohan’s days as an Alpine driver may be numbered well before the season concludes.
Last year, Alpine announced Doohan would be stepping into the shoes of Esteban Ocon, who left for Haas, to accompany Pierre Gasly in the F1 2025 season. However, unsettling rumours emerged when Flavio Briatore, spotted in conversation with Franco Colapinto and his manager at the Qatar Grand Prix, hinted at potential changes in the team line up.
Briatore later confirmed to Auto Motor und Sport that if the opportunity arose to bring Colapinto on board, it would certainly be considered. Consequently, Colapinto was signed as one of Alpine’s reserve drivers for the forthcoming season, igniting the F1 rumour mill with speculations of him replacing Doohan.
Briatore’s statement to Le Parisien did little to dispel these rumours. He assured that the season would begin with Gasly and Doohan, but the future was uncertain. He was candid about changes in the team if a driver’s progress was unsatisfactory, stating that decisions in F1 cannot be driven by emotions.
It has been suggested that Doohan has a window of five races to prove his mettle. Ralf Schumacher, a former F1 driver, even speculated that Doohan’s future could hang in the balance as early as the Australian Grand Prix.
Adding to Doohan’s mounting pressure, Alpine confirmed that Colapinto, the ex-Williams driver, would be the preferred reserve driver for the first round, thereby intensifying the scrutiny on Doohan’s performance. Commenting on the situation, Sky F1’s Karun Chandhok opined that it was a tough scenario for Doohan.
Moreover, Simon-Chautemps’ assertion of Doohan’s subpar lap times during pre-season testing has added fuel to the fire. He asserted that Gasly was significantly ahead of Doohan, thereby cementing the prevailing concerns about the rookie’s performance.
As the F1 caravan moves to Melbourne, Sky’s David Croft has urged Alpine to back their driver and quell the swirling rumours. Croft defended Doohan, attributing his poor performance in Abu Dhabi to unfortunate circumstances. He called on Briatore or Ollie Oakes to express their support for Doohan, which would effectively put an end to the unending speculation.
In the riveting world of Formula 1, only time will tell if Doohan can rise above the challenges and prove his worth in the high-stakes sport.