Breaking: Jack Doohan’s Alpine career has taken another dramatic twist… Read more
Jack Doohan’s F1 Future in Doubt as Alpine Ends Hopes of 2025 Comeback After Colapinto Drama
By Hugo Harvey | October 23, 2025
Jack Doohan’s already turbulent Formula 1 journey with Alpine has taken another disheartening turn. Reports indicate that the Australian driver will not return to the grid for the final three rounds of the 2025 F1 season, despite earlier discussions suggesting a potential comeback.
The Gold Coast-born racer had entered the 2025 campaign full of optimism after securing a full-time seat with Alpine. His opportunity came after standing in for Esteban Ocon at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he delivered a composed performance that strengthened his reputation as one of F1’s rising prospects. However, Doohan’s stint as a race driver proved short-lived — spanning only six rounds before the team replaced him with Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
Initially, Alpine described Colapinto’s arrival as a five-race trial, leaving open the possibility of reinstating Doohan later in the season. According to The Race, team officials even discussed scenarios in which Doohan could return for the final three Grands Prix. However, those discussions have now collapsed, bringing a likely end to his 2025 F1 campaign and possibly his association with Alpine altogether.
Doohan had reportedly managed to secure financial backing sufficient to facilitate his return. But Alpine’s recent commercial announcement all but confirmed that Colapinto will see out the rest of the season. The team revealed that Mercado Libre, a major Argentine e-commerce company and one of Colapinto’s key sponsors, will feature prominently on the car’s livery for the next two races. Additional funding from the brand is believed to cover the remaining rounds, making any driver change financially unnecessary.
Behind the scenes, Doohan’s influence within Alpine appears to have faded significantly. Reports suggest that his simulator duties have been scaled back, and he has been excluded from the team’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme — a critical opportunity for reserve and development drivers to maintain race readiness. Estonian driver Paul Aron is now said to have overtaken Doohan in the team’s driver hierarchy, effectively making him Alpine’s preferred development prospect moving forward.
This latest development deals a heavy blow to Doohan’s F1 aspirations. Having been part of Alpine’s driver academy for several years, his prospects of reclaiming a seat in the near future now look increasingly uncertain. For the 22-year-old, the situation marks a painful setback after years of progress through Formula 2 and junior categories that once positioned him as one of the sport’s brightest young talents.
Meanwhile, Colapinto — whose controversial promotion sparked mixed reactions within the paddock — faces challenges of his own. Since rejoining the grid, he has yet to score a single championship point, adding pressure to justify Alpine’s faith in him. His frustration appeared to boil over during the United States Grand Prix in Austin, where he ignored team instructions late in the race.
Colapinto had been told to hold position behind team-mate Pierre Gasly in the final laps, but instead launched an unexpected move at Turn One, overtaking the French driver against team orders. The bold maneuver angered Alpine management, particularly Steve Nielsen and Flavio Briatore, both of whom reportedly reprimanded the young Argentine after the race.
Addressing the issue ahead of this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, Colapinto attempted to calm tensions and reaffirm his commitment to the team.
“The situation on Sunday was discussed internally,” Colapinto admitted. “It’s clear that team instructions must always be respected. We are united as a team, and we’re all working towards improving together with every race weekend.”
Despite the controversy, Colapinto remains optimistic about competing in Mexico, highlighting the passionate support of fans and the unique challenges posed by the high-altitude Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit.
“The atmosphere in Mexico is incredible,” he said. “The altitude always makes things tricky, but I’m excited to get back in the car and give my best for the fans.”
For Doohan, however, the mood is far less hopeful. With Colapinto set to retain his seat through the remainder of the season and Aron now ahead in Alpine’s development plans, his future in Formula 1 hangs by a thread. Unless another opportunity arises elsewhere on the grid, 2025 may mark the end of his journey with the Enstone-based team — a disappointing conclusion to what began as a promising chapter in his racing career.
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