Jack Doohan has returned to Alpine as a reserve less than two months after his Formula 1 debut. Franco Colapinto will now teammate Pierre Gasly.
Colapinto’s initial contract is for just five races. Doohan reportedly had a similar contract after replacing Esteban Ocon.
Alpine will evaluate the Argentine before the British GP in July, but the chances of Doohan returning if he doesn’t perform well are unclear. They also have former Mercedes talent Paul Aron on hand.
Martin Brundle claims Alpine should have given Doohan until the summer break, but in the current situation, he had very little time to showcase his talent. The extreme pressure of his particular situation may have prevented him from consistently showing his best.
As a result, he may not have done enough to attract the attention of other teams. There has been talk that Cadillac could offer Doohan a safe haven, but that would be a risk for new entrants.
Jack Doohan’s message to his manager suggests his F1 career is not over yet.
Doohan was quoted in Alpine’s press release confirming the driver change on Wednesday. But a day later, he published his first social media post since the announcement.
The Australian wished Sergi Bou García, his coach at Alpine, a happy birthday. He ended the message with a defiant three-word promise.
“Happy birthday to my brother,” she wrote. “The best there is. We’ll be back.”
Doohan wouldn’t be the first driver on the current grid to recover from being sacked. Esteban Ocon lost his Racing Point seat at the end of 2018, but returned to Renault, the forerunner of Alpine, after a season away.
Alex Albon also relaunched his career at Williams after being fired by Red Bull. And Nico Hulkenberg is now in his third stint in the sport.
How Alpine staff are privately assessing Jack Doohan’s return prospects following Franco Colapinto signing
Doohan’s father, Mick, shared a controversial post about his story, comparing the two Alpine drivers’ 2025 results. Clearly, he felt he was close enough to Pierre Gasly to deserve more time.
In any case, Franco Colapinto only needs to “perform well” to keep his position beyond the five-race deadline, according to a journalist. Doohan will have to offer support, as he did last season.
Colapinto provides significant revenue to Alpine through its Argentine sponsors. Doohan could do little if those commercial incentives were the deciding factor.
Behind the scenes, “hardly anyone” at Alpine believes Doohan will return. He may have to continue his career in another discipline.
