- Aussie Jack Doohan already under significant pressure
- Will need a solid performance at the Australian Grand Prix
As the F1 circus rolls into Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, rookie Jack Doohan is already in danger of losing his job with Alpine racing team.
With the roar of engines at Albert Park just days away, the 22-year-old finds himself under the microscope, grappling with abuse from fans, a formidable teammate and a precarious seat.
Doohan, the son of motorcycle racing icon Mick Doohan, was brought into the team to replace the outgoing Esteban Ocon – but then Alpine executive director Flavio Briatore signed Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto as the reserve driver for 2025.
The decision to sign Colapinto has sparked some questions over Doohan’s future at the team, with Briatore claiming that the Aussie would start the season alongside Pierre Gasly, with the team set to make a decision on their lineup later on in the campaign.
Rumours around the F1 paddock speculate that Doohan may just have three races to impress, so he better make the most of it.
Some are saying he may have less.
‘Flavio doesn’t mess around,’ said former F1 star Ralf Schumacher in a recent interview. ‘If Jack doesn’t match Pierre Gasly’s pace in Melbourne, he could be out by Japan [in early April].’
Rookie Jack Doohan is is already under the gun at Alpine ahead of the F1 season opener
The 22-year-old will need a solid performance in Melbourne this weekend
To make matters worse, the talented Colapinto is extremely popular in his home country and has significant commercial interest behind him.
Many of the Argentinian’s fans have taken to social media to express their frustration with the situation and abuse Doohan, prompting Colapinto’s management to step in and tell fans to ‘stop posting nonsense’.
‘The haters who think they help Franco, you are doing him more harm than good,’ posted Jamie Campbell-Walter to X.
‘Insults to the team, to Jack and sometimes to other supporters of Alpine.
‘Franco and all of us who support him are fans of the whole team, Pierre [Gasly] and Jack.
‘Conduct yourselves with passion but not abuse and arrogance. Franco’s time will come but not like this, you will achieve the opposite.’
Doohan has received support from F1 commentator David Croft, who has called on Alpine’s leadership to publicly back the young gun.
‘I’m going to stand up for Doohan,’ he said.
Franco Colapinto (pictured) was signed as Alpine’s reserve driver for 2025, immediately leading to speculation he may take Doohan’s position
Doohan has received abuse from Colapinto’s many supporters ahead of Sunday’s race
‘I thought he was unlucky in Abu Dhabi. In the first runs in qualifying he was a tenth off Pierre Gasly, and there’s no disgrace in that.
‘He then got sent out into traffic, his tyres cooled, lost grip. He started lower than he was going to. The instruction was to bring the car home and keep it safe.
‘What looked like a poor drive was just doing as the team asked.
‘Flavio Briatore or Ollie Oakes need to come out and say “Doohan is our man for the year”. If they do that, the speculation stops.’
Sadly for Doohan, that hasn’t yet occurred.
A solid result in Melbourne will silence the critics for a while, but if he stumbles he may be sidelined before the season really gets underway.
‘It’s quite harsh on Jack to just have Franco sit on the bench throwing bananas around, hoping that he slips and falls over or just sitting there and hoping Jack does a bad job,’ said F1 pundit Karun Chandhok.
‘That’s pretty bad vibes to be having in your pit garage.’
