It was all going plain sailing for Jack Doohan since his promotion to Alpine’s race seat for the 2025 season. He even got an early debut with a one-off appearance at the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi. However, the signing of Franco Colapinto as a reserve driver has already put doubts over Doohan’s long-term F1 future.
The perception around the Aussie youngster has been rather mixed so far, with many predicting chances of him struggling at the pinnacle of motorsport. In such a scenario, Alpine could replace him mid-season with Colapinto, a driver who they could have signed just for that purpose.
Jack Doohan hasn’t even begun his first full F1 season yet, and Franco Colapinto is already a big threat to his Alpine seat..
We explain more here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1aZaIvKUeb
— The Race (@wearetherace) January 12, 2025
When F1 photojournalist Kym Illman asked Valtteri Bottas what he thought about this situation, and particularly Doohan, the Finn backed the 21-year-old. “It’s too early to say. I think time will show. Jack is a promising, smart kid. Seems fast. He has got his chance to prove himself which I believe he will do,” Bottas stated.
Doohan has only participated in one F1 race so far, for which he had minimal time to prepare. Although he extensively tested Alpine’s older cars as their test driver over the years, he has yet to fully adapt to F1 machinery. A proper pre-season ahead of the upcoming 2025 campaign could help him a lot on this front.
Doohan has already begun his workout regimen to prepare his body, particularly his neck, to withstand the high G-forces in an F1 car.
The Gold Coast-born driver is eager to make the most of the opportunity Alpine has provided him, even if they may not fully trust his mettle. Doohan will also have a psychological advantage as he kicks off his first full F1 season at his home race in Australia.
Doohan excited for his first F1 home race
The 2025 Australian GP was set to be Doohan’s maiden Grand Prix weekend, had it not been for Alpine putting him in the car for the Abu Dhabi GP. Nevertheless, he will look to maximize the home crowd’s support to bolster his mental fortitude and start his first full-time season in F1 on a positive note.
After the French team announced his promotion, Doohan gave an interview to ABC News Breakfast, where he expressed his excitement about starting his debut F1 campaign at home. He said,
“It’s a very exciting thing. Something that I have been looking forward to and hoping for since the start of this year when it seemed that Australia might be returning to the opening round.”
There is no guarantee of how competitive Alpine will be in 2025. Still, Doohan will aim to make the most of the available package and secure a strong result in Australia to set the tone for his debut season. With lingering doubts about his caliber, Doohan cannot afford to slip up, as his team has a backup in Colapinto to replace him.
