It's official! Alpine replaces Doohan with Franco Colapinto for at least five race
Alpine F1 is shaking up its driver lineup, replacing Jack Doohan with promising talent Franco Colapinto for at least the next five races, starting at the Emilia Romagna GP on May 18. Doohan moves to a reserve role after a tough start to the season. This swap allows Alpine to assess drivers for the future and gives highly-regarded Colapinto a key opportunity.
Alpine F1 has made a significant change to its driver lineup, announcing that Franco Colapinto will replace Jack Doohan in one of their race seats. The change takes effect from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, scheduled for May 18. Colapinto, a 21-year-old talent, is confirmed to be driving for "at least the next five races" as the teammate to Pierre Gasly. As a result of this decision, Jack Doohan, 22, has been demoted to reserve driver status, although Alpine has designated him as their "first-choice" reserve among their three development drivers.
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The move comes following a challenging start to the 2025 season for Doohan. He has yet to score a point after six races, retired from two of them (including a first-lap collision in Miami), and had a significant accident during practice in Japan. Statistically, he has consistently been outperformed by his teammate Pierre Gasly, who has outqualified him in every race this season by an average of four positions and held faster average lap times in races where neither driver retired.
Franco Colapinto's ascent to the race seat follows his joining the Enstone-based Alpine team as a test and reserve driver in January, facilitated by a deal with Williams. Colapinto previously gained F1 experience mid-way through the 2024 season when he replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams.
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During his time there, he scored five points and achieved an average finishing position of P11, demonstrating impressive performances for a rookie despite his stint being overshadowed by some crashes. Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore has highly praised Colapinto, calling him "among the best young talents in motorsport right now" and describing his 2024 F1 appearances as having "caught many... by surprise" and being "very impressive."
Alpine's decision is influenced by their need to "rotate" drivers and conduct a "complete and fair assessment" ahead of the important 2026 season, which will see new car design regulations and Alpine returning to being a customer engine team. Rumors about this potential swap had been circulating, even being dismissed by former Team Principal Oliver Oakes just days before his resignation and the team's official announcement.
Doohan acknowledged the change, stating he was "very proud to have achieved my lifelong ambition to be a professional Formula One driver" but found this chapter a "tough one." He expressed appreciation for the team's trust in his reserve role and remains committed to supporting team goals and his own personal ambitions. His highest F1 finish in seven starts was P13. This mid-season swap provides the highly-regarded Franco Colapinto with a crucial opportunity to prove his capability at the highest level over the upcoming races.
