Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes has said Formula 1 rookie Jack Doohan will get a “fair chance” to impress despite the arrival of much-fancied Argentine Franco Colapinto.
Alpine Advisor had been clear in his admiration of Colapinto and that admiration was realised in a contract deal when the Argentine arrived from Williams on a multi-year deal.
Announced on January 09, Colapinto will act as Alpine reserve in 2025 with a contract that runs for five years according to the Argentine’s management.
Doohan, meanwhile was announced as Pierre Gasly’s 2025 team-mate last August, graduating from the Alpine academy programme and his reserve driving duties.
After a year out of racing situations, the Australian made an earlier-than-expected debut in the 2024 season-finale in Abu Dhabi, finishing 15th.
Speculation before and after Colapinto’s signing has been rife, suggesting Doohan’s full-time future isn’t secure.
Briatore’s comments to Le Parisien add fuel to the fire, having said: “The only certain thing is death.
“We start the year with Pierre and Jack, I guarantee it. After that, we’ll see during the season.”
But, speaking on the James Allen on F1 podcast, Oakes dismissed the “harsh” speculation on Doohan’s future.
“It’s been a little bit harsh on Jack, some of the stuff that was written by the keyboard warriors there, and he’s getting his fair crack at it next year,” Oakes said.
Oakes added that signing Colapinto “isn’t to put [pressure] on [Doohan’s] shoulders.
“It’s genuinely to give the team options further down the line,” he explained.
“And for me F1 is fine margins. There’s a load of people who are depending on a driver to deliver each weekend, and we need to make sure we’ve got the best drivers in the race car, not just now, but also in the future.”
What Colapinto offers Alpine
Colapinto impressed the F1 world upon his mid-season debut with Williams at the 2024 Italian GP.
The Argentine scored points in his second event and was right on the pace of team-mate Alex Ambon throughout his nine-round stint with the Grove-based outfit.
“I think Franco made a great first impression with Williams,” said Oakes.
“I think it was clear to see that he probably tried a bit too hard at the end there,” he added, referencing several high-speed crashes Colapinto endured towards the end of the season.
“How much of that was the situation he was in, where he didn’t have a seat confirmed and was trying to over-impress, and how much of that was a compromise on parts on the car, that’s hard to calculate,” Oakes said.
“But I think the crux is he made a strong impression with the speed he showed.”
Together with Paul Aron, Oakes said that Colapinto gives Alpine a strong roster of drivers to keep “everyone honest.”
The Alpine boss explained: “For us as a team it’s great to have that roster of two young drivers in Paul and Franco there waiting in the wings, because it’s not just about 2025; 2026, 2027 is around the corner, and it’s hard in F1 to plan what’s going to happen and what drivers you’re going to have to go in the car.
“For us, it just keeps everyone honest in terms of how they’re performing and gives us options,” he concluded.
Doohan and Colapinto visit Enstone
Doohan and Colapinto have made trips to Alpine’s Enstone base to prepare for the upcoming F1 campaign.
On Wednesday, Alpine revealed that “Doohan logged his first day back at Enstone in 2025 as a full-time Race Driver.
“Fresh from a winter training camp in Gold Coast, Australia, Jack was at the team headquarters for his first engineering meetings of the year and for his A525 seat fit.”
Colapinto is expected at Enstone on Thursday.
READ MORE – Alpine insists Jack Doohan to begin F1 2025 despite Franco Colapinto arrival
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