Washington: In a major shake-up to its 2025 Formula One season plans, the BWT Alpine F1 Team has announced that Franco Colapinto will replace Jack Doohan for the next five race weekends, starting with the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. Colapinto will partner Pierre Gasly as part of what the team is calling a “driver evaluation program.”
The decision follows a rocky start to Doohan’s first full-time F1 season. Despite being promoted to the race team after Esteban Ocon’s departure to Haas, Doohan has struggled to keep pace with teammate Gasly. His campaign hit a new low at the Miami Grand Prix, where a Lap 1 collision with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson forced him to retire early.
A statement from Alpine confirmed:
“The team has decided to switch up one of its racing seats for the next five rounds of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship as part of an ongoing evaluation of its driver lineup. Franco Colapinto will partner Pierre Gasly starting with the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.”
The team emphasized that Doohan remains Alpine’s first-choice reserve driver, ensuring his continued involvement with the Enstone-based outfit.
Colapinto, who impressed during a mid-season debut with Williams last year, joined Alpine as a reserve in January. His consistent performance in testing and simulations has made him a hot prospect in the paddock, with multiple teams reportedly eyeing him for a 2025 seat.
Expressing gratitude, Colapinto said:
“First and foremost, I want to thank the team for this opportunity. I’ve been working hard on the Enstone simulator and through the race support testing program. I’ll give it everything I have to contribute to the team and deliver strong results alongside Pierre.”
The driver swap also comes on the heels of a sudden leadership change at Alpine. Team Principal Oliver Oakes resigned recently with immediate effect. In his place, Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore will assume leadership responsibilities during this transition period.
A fresh evaluation of the driver lineup is expected ahead of the British Grand Prix in July, suggesting Colapinto’s performances in the next five races could have a lasting impact on Alpine’s long-term plans.
