Alpine confirms Colapinto as Doohan’s replacement from Imola F1 grand prix

The Alpine Method 1 workforce has formally confirmed Franco Colapinto will substitute Jack Doohan for the subsequent 5 races of the 2025 season, beginning at subsequent week’s Emilia Romagna GP in Imola.

Doohan has been relieved of his duties after six troublesome race weekends over which the Australian confirmed flashes of one-lap tempo however struggled to ship constant race weekends.

Doohan outqualified team-mate Pierre Gasly ultimately weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, however then obtained concerned in a Flip 1 tangle with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson which ended his race on the spot, including to his tally of on-track incidents this yr.

Gasly’s seventh place on the Bahrain Grand Prix confirmed Alpine had a probably fast automotive this season, however in an especially shut midfield battle the Enstone squad has now moved to switch Doohan with Colapinto in a bid to get each automobiles into scoring positions. As an additional advantage, Colapinto additionally brings appreciable backing from his residence nation of Argentina.

Colapinto will race from Imola onwards for the subsequent 5 races, with a brand new analysis happening after the Austrian Grand Prix, whereas Doohan will return to his earlier reserve driver function.

“Having reviewed the opening races of the season, we now have come to the choice to place Franco within the automotive alongside Pierre for the subsequent 5 races,” stated govt advisor Flavio Briatore, who now totally leads the workforce after Oliver Oakes’ resignation on Tuesday. “With the sector being so carefully matched this yr, and with a aggressive automotive, which the workforce has drastically improved previously 12 months, we’re ready the place we see the necessity to rotate our line-up.

“We additionally know the 2026 season might be an necessary one for the workforce and having an entire and truthful evaluation of the drivers this season is the best factor to do with a view to maximise our ambitions subsequent yr. We proceed to assist Jack on the workforce, as he has acted in a really skilled method in his function as a race driver thus far this season. The subsequent 5 races will give us a possibility to attempt one thing completely different and after this time interval we are going to assess our choices.”

Colapinto was quoted as saying: “Firstly, I wish to thank the workforce for giving me the chance to drive competitively for the subsequent 5 races. I’ll work laborious with the workforce to organize for the subsequent race in Imola and the upcoming triple-header, which can little doubt be intense and a giant problem for everybody. I’ve stayed sharp, and I’m as prepared as doable with the workforce’s race assist testing programme, in addition to on the simulator at Enstone. I’ll do my finest to stand up to hurry rapidly and provides it my all to ship the absolute best outcomes alongside Pierre.”

Ever since 2024 Williams reserve Colapinto was signed by Alpine over the winter, rumours swirled over an early driver change on the workforce, which has now materialised.

Colapinto triggered a right away impression on his nine-race Williams cameo changing Logan Sargeant, scoring factors in Baku and Austin, which led to a quick spell of curiosity from the Pink Bull camp. However the Argentinian’s inexperience additionally confirmed in violent crashes in Las Vegas and Brazil, which put Pink Bull off his scent, earlier than Alpine swooped in over the low season so as to add the 21-year-old to its roster of reserve drivers.

Colapinto has now been ready for his second F1 stint at Alpine with a mix of simulation work and personal testing.

It’s the second in-season driver change this yr after Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda had been swapped between Pink Bull and Racing Bulls after simply two race weekends.