Alpine Formula 1 team has confirmed that Argentine driver Franco Colapinto will replace Jack Doohan for the next five races of the 2025 season, beginning with next week's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.
The decision comes just one day after team principal Oliver Oakes resigned, with Alpine’s executive advisor Flavio Briatore stepping in to lead the team.
Doohan’s early-season campaign has been marred by inconsistency despite occasional flashes of promise.
The Australian outqualified teammate Pierre Gasly at last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, but a first-corner incident with Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson prematurely ended his race — his latest in a string of incidents.
With Gasly scoring a strong seventh in Bahrain and the midfield tighter than ever, Alpine has opted to make a temporary change in pursuit of regular points.
Doohan will now return to his reserve driver role as Colapinto steps up for a crucial evaluation period that will run through the Austrian Grand Prix.
Briatore Takes the Helm Amid Driver Lineup Shift
The timing of the announcement coincides with significant changes in Alpine’s leadership. Following Oakes’ resignation on Tuesday, long-time F1 figure Flavio Briatore has taken on full leadership responsibilities. Speaking about the change in the driver line-up, Briatore said:
“Having reviewed the opening races of the season, we have come to the decision to put Franco in the car alongside Pierre for the next five races.
“With the field being so closely matched this year, and with a competitive car, which the team has drastically improved in the past 12 months, we are in a position where we see the need to rotate our line-up.
“We also know the 2026 season will be an important one for the team and having a complete and fair assessment of the drivers this season is the right thing to do in order to maximise our ambitions next year.
“We continue to support Jack at the team, as he has acted in a very professional manner in his role as a race driver so far this season. The next five races will give us an opportunity to try something different and after this time period we will assess our options.”
Read also:
Alpine drops a bombshell: Oakes out with immediate effect!Colapinto joined Alpine as a reserve driver over the winter after an impressive but turbulent nine-race cameo with Williams in 2024.
The 21-year-old made headlines with points finishes in Baku and Austin but also drew scrutiny after major crashes in Las Vegas and Brazil, which cooled interest from Red Bull and opened the door for Alpine to sign him.
Colapinto Ready to Seize the Moment
Now handed his second opportunity in Formula 1, Colapinto is eager to prove himself in what could be a pivotal phase for his career. He expressed gratitude and determination ahead of his return to racing duties:
“Firstly, I want to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to drive competitively for the next five races,” commented the 21-year-old.
“I will work hard with the team to prepare for the next race in Imola and the upcoming triple-header, which will no doubt be intense and a big challenge for everyone.
“I've stayed sharp, and I am as ready as possible with the team’s race support testing programme, as well as on the simulator at Enstone.
“I will do my best to get up to speed quickly and give it my all to deliver the best possible results alongside Pierre.”
Colapinto’s integration into Alpine included extensive simulator work and private test sessions, aimed at preparing him for a return to full-time F1 competition.
His promotion marks the second in-season driver change of 2025, following Red Bull’s early switch of Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda between its main and junior teams.
Alpine will now look to Colapinto to help capitalize on the performance gains the team has made over the past year – and keep both cars in the hunt for crucial midfield points.
Would you like this story formatted as a press release or published article?
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
Colapinto replaces Doohan at Alpine for next five races F1i.com.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Colapinto replaces Doohan at Alpine for next five races )
Also on site :
- Ringing Out Hope in Nagasaki
- Denver Broncos Film Room: Sai’vion Jones flashes vs. Alabama
- Letters: Donald Trump