Doohan worried by Colapinto at Alpine ? “I was told he was a reserve pilot…”

Sometimes some of the timing seems quite ironic. On Tuesday afternoon, as Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly appeared before the audience of journalists present in London, a few hours before the ceremony F1 75 Live, Alpine announced at the same time a partnership with the company Mercado Libre, main sponsor of… Franco Colapinto. And as expected, during this same press conference, the Doohan-Colapinto subject was not avoided.

The Australian has been bombarded with questions about the safety of his seat in 2025 and the potential danger that the Argentinian, announced as the reserve driver for the A fléché this season, could represent. As a reminder, according to Franco Colapinto's entourage, the former driver Williams would have been loaned by the British team to the French clan for the next five years, an exceptionally long loan and far from trivial. The arrival of the South American at enstone, combined with Flavio Briatore's recent statements about a potential driver change during the championship in 2025, has obviously fueled the rumors about Jack Doohan and his fragile position within the French team. At the beginning of February, Alpine even organized a comparative test between the two drivers in Barcelona during a private test.

Doohan jostled at press conference

On Tuesday, journalists did not hesitate to ask Jack Doohan if the arrival of Franco Colapinto during the winter had put additional pressure on him before the start of his F1 career. The Australian, always very calm in his attitude and his answers, first tried to dodge the question. No. I was told he was a reserve driver. Anyway, I'm one of 20 Formula 1 drivers in the world and I know that when I was a karting, a Formula 3, Formula 2, I would have done anything to be in Formula 1 and I would have sacrificed everything, said the pilot Alpine. You will always have pressure on your shoulders, because you are in a very competitive sport. Whatever the pressure is, I am looking forward to enjoying it, accepting it and enjoying my Formula 1 season."

However, a few moments later the subject came back on the table and Jack Doohan, slightly annoyed, was more offensive in his response. “Is that really a question?” he initially replied when a journalist asked him if he felt weakened by the arrival of Franco Colapinto with a long-term contract. Before continuing: "I was a 21-year-old reserve driver last year, with a long-term contract. But no, I'm not [worried]. Maybe I should be, I don't know. I don't really understand this question. But no, definitely not."

And when a third question was asked about the potential concern that Jack Doohan could feel about only competing in five or six Grands Prix in 2025, it was directly the press officer ofAlpine who decided to close the subject before his pilot even answered. Strange atmosphere to start the season before an evening that promises to be festive in London…

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