F1's most predictable driver firing achieved little as Alpine swapped Doohan for Colapinto · RaceFans

F1’s most predictable driver firing achieved little as Alpine swapped Doohan for Colapinto · RaceFans

July 17, 2025

in Racing

Reading Time: 2 mins read

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Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto spent the same amount of time as Pierre Gasly’s team mate and neither did outstandingly better than the other.

Most importantly, over six rounds apiece, neither scored any points. That must be seen in the context of Gasly only cracking the top 10 on four occasions so far – twice each alongside his two team mates.

Now six rounds into what was originally billed as a five-round trial for Colapinto, what improvement he offers over his predecessor has been modest at best so far.

Each has come up short on one-lap pace compared to Gasly. Neither capitalised on the chances they had to score points.

Both crashed: Doohan on the first lap in Australia and Miami (the latter occurring after one of Colapinto’s sponsors had revealed he was going to be replaced); Colapinto in qualifying at Imola and Silverstone.

Rumours Doohan wouldn’t last the season were circulating even before it began. Once Alpine needlessly pulled him out of the cockpit for a practice session in the third round of the year, at a track as demanding as Suzuka, the writing was on the wall. Still, Colapinto’s results have not exactly justified the decision.

Now Alpine are arranging practice outings for another of their reserve drivers and it seems Colapinto’s days may be numbered. Half-a-dozen races is not a sufficient amount of time for a rookie to give a reasonable account of themselves, though Alpine could point out that is three times longer than Liam Lawson got at Red Bull.

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Meanwhile Gasly has plugged away, grabbing the occasional points finish in a car which has seldom looked competitive enough to deliver them on merit. If the team do keep rotating his team mate, the task of avoiding a last-place finish in the championship will rest largely on his shoulders.