Is it really all decided?

Has the emergence of a chance to unlock tens of millions from Argentina, with Franco Colapinto because the bait, seemingly sealed Jack Doohan’s destiny at Alpine?

Many within the paddock now see it as an nearly inevitable situation: if Doohan underperforms within the first few races – or even when he’s simply unspectacular – Flavio Briatore will make a transfer, changing him along with his new protégé and in flip opening the floodgates of South American sponsorship cash. Nothing private – simply enterprise.

Components 1 isn’t all the time about sport. Most of the time, it is about cash. And whereas it’s sure that the Argentinean has put himself in a very good place because of his stint with Williams, Renault additionally has a transparent curiosity within the South American market.

Having a driver from the area might be seen as a very good strategic alternative, and the staff’s want to capitalise on it’s comprehensible.

Colapinto’s pace is an extra however crucial issue on this case. His sudden debut in F1 could not have been flawless, but it surely was sufficient to place him not solely on Alpine’s radar, but in addition on Pink Bull’s – and, crucially, to place F1 again within the highlight in Argentina.

The chain of occasions that unfolded between Colapinto and Alpine encourages hypothesis concerning the subsequent chapter within the story. The rumours of Briatore’s curiosity in Colapinto’s companies appeared lengthy earlier than he lastly joined the staff, and the affirmation solely strengthened the impact: the paddock gossiped concerning the causes for this curiosity, with Argentinean cash being talked about in nearly each dialog. The following signing appeared to substantiate: sure, every thing is occurring precisely as predicted.

On the identical time, it grew to become nearly frequent information that Doohan’s contract contained a clause that he could possibly be launched after 5 or 6 races. Some even defined Alpine’s resolution to place him within the automobile in Abu Dhabi final 12 months as an early try by the brand new bosses to offer him an opportunity to “fail” as quickly as doable.

All of this hypothesis has, in a single kind or one other, led to an enormous quantity of press protection. So, when Doohan confronted the media for the primary time this winter, it was clear that as a substitute of the standard rookie questions on the way it feels to be an F1 driver and the way he is dealing with the celebrity, the Australian was relentlessly interrogated about Colapinto and the stress his presence within the staff generates.

“Do not you are feeling undermined in any respect by Franco being there?” he was requested in the course of the F175 press convention. “As a result of it’s totally uncommon to have a 21-year-old reserve driver on a long-term contract who raced final season and desires to race once more as quickly as doable.”

Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly on the F1 75 occasion in London

Picture by: Getty Photographs

He needed to come out preventing.

“Is {that a} query?” he grinned, having already given the reply that stress is a actuality for all drivers, no matter whether or not they have an Argentinean expertise ready on the bench subsequent to them.

That method was then praised by Oliver Oakes, who clearly sought to push the narrative that hypothesis about Doohan being changed by Colapinto was the work of sure “keyboard warriors” spreading daring assumptions that the rookie’s days with the staff had been numbered.

However whereas he is been good in his position, these keyboard warriors would not have weapons if Alpine hadn’t supplied them. And it is not simply the details that paint an image of an impending risk.

Oakes’ boss, Flavio Briatore, has an almost-love affair with Colapinto on Instagram, sharing footage from all over the world: they pose collectively after signing the deal, then the Italian shares a video from Colapinto’s TPC check in Barcelona, after which one other image from Monaco, the place they stand in entrance of a wall with a “Love is the reply” signal within the background.

In a 30-second video shared on Alpine’s social media channels about Luca de Meo’s go to to Enstone in early January, each the Renault CEO and Flavio spoke not about the principle race drivers, however Colapinto.

“Franco for me is without doubt one of the finest younger, fast drivers for the longer term,” Briatore mentioned.

There hardly is one other reserve driver in F1 who will get a lot love from his bosses – and it is most likely honest to say that there is sufficient substance for Doohan to be not less than a bit of jealous.

And, after all, there’s a publish on Flavio’s Instagram web page devoted to the signing of Mercado Libre – Argentina’s main e-commerce firm and one among Colapinto’s backers – as a sponsor.

So the soldiers Oakes likes to say, not less than, usually are not the one ones contributing to the hype round Colapinto.

Jack Doohan, Alpine

Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs

All of it provides up, does not it? Colapinto was efficiently lured away from Williams and given a three-year contract. What younger driver indicators such an extended contract simply to sit down on the bench? And the cash is already coming in from Argentina. So there’s just one formality left: for Doohan to vacate his seat.

Or is there? There’s nonetheless some doubt as as to whether Argentinean sponsors will really flood Alpine with money. For now, there is not any signal of any corporations in addition to Mercado Libre becoming a member of the staff’s sponsorship portfolio.

It’s understood that the staff has been in touch with Globant, however that firm already sponsors F1 itself, and to this point these discussions haven’t resulted in something concrete. And nationwide oil firm YPF, which supported Colapinto within the junior sequence, is not more likely to be a part of, as Alpine has already signed a significant take care of Eni that primarily excludes partnerships with different corporations in the identical sector.

In the meantime, the staff itself is attempting to defend Doohan from the stress as a lot as doable – and through the identical press convention on the F175 occasion, the staff’s PR consultant shut down the third consecutive Colapinto-related query directed on the Australian. Autosport understands that this coverage will proceed, because it’s clear that comparable questions are more likely to be repeated at Doohan’s house race in Melbourne.

Flavio Briatore, Alpine Govt Advisor

Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs

As for Briatore, there’s actually nothing new in his conduct, as it is a modus operandi for the Italian to place stress on his drivers. And, in principle, Colapinto could possibly be simply as a lot of a risk to Pierre Gasly – but it surely’s simply assumed that the Frenchman might be effectively forward of his team-mate.

It is also clear that Doohan was not on the high of Alpine’s record to accomplice Gasly in 2025, because the staff pushed to signal Carlos Sainz. Nonetheless, it is evident that the Australian has made a robust case for himself by way of his work behind the scenes. He has earned a status as an excellent simulator driver, and insiders reward not solely his contribution to Alpine’s improvement fee over the previous 12 months, but in addition his efforts throughout race weekends. In the course of the Monaco Grand Prix, for instance, Doohan labored on the manufacturing unit till 3am to search out the suitable set-up for the qualifying – after which headed to the monitor after solely an hour’s sleep to fulfil his reserve driver duties.

In what Oakes described as a “punchy” efficiency on the F175 press convention, Doohan denied feeling underneath stress regardless of having a 21-year-old third driver within the staff.

“I used to be a 21-year-old reserve final 12 months with a long-term contract,” he replied earlier than the Alpine PR consultant requested the media to alter the topic. “However no, I do not. Possibly I ought to? I do not know. I do not actually perceive that as a query, however yeah, undoubtedly not.”

Jack Doohan, Alpine

Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs

And when you’re free to consider that this was nothing greater than a courageous speech, it is the one right method in his scenario.

For now, Colapinto stays Alpine’s reserve driver. And it is as much as him to show his price to his new employer, whether or not it is in TPC outings or on the simulator. Funnily sufficient, a part of his job is to really make Doohan look higher by helping him from the manufacturing unit when he is on sim duties throughout race weekends – but it surely’s additionally one thing that will not go unnoticed, particularly given the love he is getting from the bosses.

On high of these TPC outings, Autosport understands Colapinto will attend the races in Australia and China as a reserve driver, which is bound to offer the F1 broadcast staff with alternatives for dramatic cutaways: a shot of the Argentinean watching from the storage is assured after each Doohan lock-up.

There’s undoubtedly much more stress on him than on most different drivers, and regardless of Oakes’ defensive ways, when given the chance to quash paddock rumours that Doohan had been given 5 races to show himself, he finally did not take it.

Jack Doohan, Alpine A525

Picture by: Alpine

“I believe we’ve been actually sincere as a staff about what we’re doing,” he mentioned in response to a direct query. “I maintain saying it, however it will be good to simply let Jack get on with it – and likewise let the staff get on with it, to be sincere.”

No matter how widespread the hearsay is, solely a small group of individuals actually know what’s in Doohan’s contract with Alpine. Having efficiency clauses in such contracts is nothing uncommon in F1, and on condition that Alpine was just about Doohan’s solely real looking F1 profession choice, it is exhausting to think about that his contract presents him bulletproof safety ought to his bosses take into account changing him anyway.

Regardless, Doohan has one key and simple benefit: it is him – not Colapinto – who might be driving the automobile in Australia, and most probably for the following few rounds of the championship. And F1, as a lot a enterprise as a sport, nonetheless rewards efficiency. What Oakes and Briatore need most from the staff is to complete as excessive up within the constructors’ championship as doable, as a result of that’s the best approach to enhance the staff’s price range by way of the FOM prize fund.

Jack Doohan is one among many rookies on 2025 grid

Picture by: Sauber

Though the media is stuffed with reviews suggesting that the choice has already been made, the fact could also be totally different. In any case, on the finish of final 12 months there have been loads of reviews suggesting that Colapinto was already set to exchange Sergio Perez at Pink Bull.

What’s clear for now’s that the Argentine has put himself in a very good place because of his stint with Williams. Evidently Alpine even agreed to pay the Grove-based staff compensation to safe his companies for the following three years – and so they definitely would not have executed so in the event that they did not see him as a possible race driver.

He may additionally assist open doorways to profitable offers in South America. However for now, that could be all he has – fairly than any form of assure that he’ll quickly be behind the wheel of one among Alpine’s F1 automobiles.

“I imply, I get that everyone has an opinion,” Oakes mentioned in Bahrain. “[But] it is quite simple, is not it? We’re right here to go racing. We wish the most effective driver within the automobile, the most effective engine within the automobile. Flavio mentioned it, didn’t he? We’re beginning the season with Jack and Pierre, after which let’s see the way it all goes.”

And there could also be extra fact in these phrases than within the paddock rumours.