Jack Doohan’s Formula 1 career hangs in the balance as it appears he will be replaced by reserve driver Franco Colapinto for the upcoming Imola race. Although not officially announced, credible sources have indicated this shift, making it increasingly likely that Doohan’s time in F1 will be extremely brief, potentially ranking as one of the shortest careers this century. The prediction of his dismissal echoes the fate of Daniel Ricciardo last season.
After just six races, Doohan’s performance hasn’t been the root of his struggles; rather, he’s been hindered by tumultuous team decisions during a financially unstable period at Alpine. Following the Miami Grand Prix, team principal Oliver Oakes, a supporter of Doohan, resigned, leaving Flavio Briatore—a controversial figure due to his history with the sport—at the helm.
Briatore’s return signals a potential shift in direction for the team, notably given his lack of support for Doohan. With Colapinto bringing financial backing from Argentina, which is keen to rejoin the F1 calendar, Doohan’s lack of sponsorship deals poses a significant disadvantage despite his determined racing background.
In performance terms, Doohan’s qualifying deficit of 0.366 seconds compared to teammate Pierre Gasly places him fifth among F1 rookies, but his potential has been compromised by unfortunate circumstances and crashes, notably affecting his results in Australia and Japan. Compared to rookies Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, his situation is curious, detailed by performance disparities and team dynamics.
The question remains: why is Alpine making the decision to replace a driver they’ve invested in since 2022 so hastily? Colapinto’s proven track record is not without risks, as he has demonstrated a penchant for crashes. Yet, Doohan has been viewed as developing slower without enough competitive race exposure since being instructed to haltingly focus on simulator work last year.
Amidst the chaos, dooming predictions for Doohan’s F1 future loom. Returns to F1 appear bleak; while he may remain with Alpine as a reserve, opportunities elsewhere seem limited, particularly against a backdrop of teams finalising their driver line-ups for the next season.
Doohan’s anticipated exit not only exemplifies the strenuous nature of F1 but serves as a stark reminder of the sport’s unforgiving environment, where performance and financial backing dictate a driver’s fate.