Has the emergence of a possibility to unlock hundreds of thousands from Argentina, with Franco Colapinto because the bait, sealed Jack Doohan’s destiny at Alpine? Many within the paddock now see it as an virtually 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.
Formulation 1 shouldn’t be at all times about sport. As a rule, it is about cash. And whereas it’s sure that the Argentinean has put himself in a superb place due to his stint with Williams, Renault additionally has a transparent curiosity within the South American market. Having a driver from the area will be seen as a superb strategic alternative, and the staff’s want to capitalise on it’s comprehensible.
Colapinto’s velocity is a further however needed issue on this case. His surprising debut in F1 could not have been flawless, nevertheless it was sufficient to place him not solely on Alpine’s radar, but in addition on Crimson Bull’s – and, crucially, to place F1 again within the highlight in Argentina.
Franco Colapinto
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures
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 virtually each dialog. The next signing appeared to substantiate: sure, every part is occurring precisely as predicted.
On the identical time, it turned virtually frequent data that Doohan’s contract contained a clause that he may very well be launched after 5 or 6 races. Some even defined Alpine’s resolution to place him within the automobile in Abu Dhabi final yr as an early try by the brand new bosses to present 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 same old 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 strain his presence within the staff generates.
“Do not you’re feeling undermined in any respect by Franco being there?” he was requested in the course of the F1 75 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
Photograph by: Getty Pictures
He needed to come out preventing.
“Is {that a} query?” he grinned, having already given the reply that strain is a actuality for all drivers, no matter whether or not they have an Argentinean expertise ready on the bench subsequent to them.
That strategy 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 offered them. And it isn’t 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 photos from all over the world: they pose collectively after signing the deal, then the Italian shares a video from Colapinto’s TPC take a look at 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 primary race drivers, however Colapinto.
“Franco for me is without doubt one of the greatest younger, fast drivers for the long run,” Briatore mentioned.
There hardly is one other reserve driver in F1 who will get a lot love from his bosses – and it is in all probability truthful to say that there is sufficient substance for Doohan to be a minimum of somewhat jealous.
And, in fact, there’s a put up on Flavio’s Instagram web page devoted to the signing of Mercado Libre – Argentina’s main e-commerce firm and one in all Colapinto’s backers – as a sponsor.
So the soldiers Oakes likes to say, a minimum of, are usually not the one ones contributing to the hype round Colapinto.
Jack Doohan, Alpine
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures
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 no 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 involved with Globant, however that firm already sponsors F1 itself, and up to now these discussions haven’t resulted in something concrete. And nationwide oil firm YPF, which supported Colapinto within the junior collection, is not prone to be part of, as Alpine has already signed a significant cope with Eni that primarily excludes partnerships with different corporations in the identical sector.
In the meantime, the staff itself is making an attempt to defend Doohan from the strain as a lot as doable – and through the identical press convention on the F1 75 occasion, the staff’s PR consultant shut down the third consecutive Colapinto-related query directed on the Australian. Motorsport.com understands that this coverage will proceed, because it’s clear that comparable questions are prone to be repeated at Doohan’s dwelling race in Melbourne.
Flavio Briatore, Alpine Government Advisor
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures
As for Briatore, there’s actually nothing new in his conduct, as it is a modus operandi for the Italian to place strain on his drivers. And, in concept, Colapinto may very well be simply as a lot of a risk to Pierre Gasly – nevertheless it’s simply assumed that the Frenchman will likely be properly forward of his team-mate.
It is also clear that Doohan was not on the high of Alpine’s checklist to companion Gasly in 2025, because the staff pushed to signal Carlos Sainz. Nevertheless, 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 charge over the previous yr, but in addition his efforts throughout race weekends. Throughout the Monaco Grand Prix, for instance, Doohan labored on the manufacturing unit till 3am to seek out the proper 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 F1 75 press convention, Doohan denied feeling underneath strain regardless of having a 21-year-old third driver within the staff.
“I used to be a 21-year-old reserve final yr 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, positively not.”
Jack Doohan, Alpine
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures
And when you’re free to consider that this was nothing greater than a courageous speech, it is the one right strategy in his state of affairs.
For now, Colapinto stays Alpine’s reserve driver. And it is as much as him to show his value 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 truly make Doohan look higher by aiding him from the manufacturing unit when he is on sim duties throughout race weekends – nevertheless it’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, Motorsport.com 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 positively much more strain on him than on most different drivers, and regardless of Oakes’ defensive techniques, 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
Photograph by: Alpine
“I feel we’ve been actually trustworthy as a staff about what we’re doing,” he mentioned in response to a direct query. “I preserve saying it, however it might be good to only let Jack get on with it – and in addition let the staff get on with it, to be trustworthy.”
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 provided that Alpine was just about Doohan’s solely real looking F1 profession possibility, it is laborious to think about that his contract presents him bulletproof safety ought to his bosses think about changing him anyway.
Regardless, Doohan has one key and plain benefit: it is him – not Colapinto – who will likely 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 strategy to increase the staff’s finances by way of the FOM prize fund.
Jack Doohan is one in all many rookies on 2025 grid
Photograph by: Sauber
Though the media is filled with experiences suggesting that the choice has already been made, the truth could also be totally different. In any case, on the finish of final yr there have been loads of experiences suggesting that Colapinto was already set to exchange Sergio Perez at Crimson Bull.
What’s clear for now could be that the Argentine has put himself in a superb place due to 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 actually would not have accomplished 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 – somewhat than any kind of assure that he’ll quickly be behind the wheel of one in all Alpine’s F1 vehicles.
“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 would like the very best driver within the automobile, the very best 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.
On this article
Oleg Karpov
Formulation 1
Jack Doohan
Franco Colapinto
Alpine
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