Sports
Argentine Driver's Monza Test Fuels Speculation Over Jack Doohan’s Future at Alpine
Jack Doohan’s prospects at Alpine took another hit after a crash in second practice on Friday, which he admitted was due to failing to close his DRS heading into Turn 1 at 180 mph. The incident, paired with his absence from first practice—where Ryo Hirakawa took over his car before switching to Haas just two days later—left Doohan entering qualifying with only 28 laps completed.
He qualified 19th and finished 15th in the race, making a few overtakes and ending just two places behind teammate Pierre Gasly, who has also struggled this season. Post-race footage showing Doohan limping away from his car sparked injury concerns, adding fuel to ongoing speculation.
That speculation intensified when images emerged of Argentine driver Franco Colapinto testing an Alpine at Monza. Although fans interpreted this as a sign of an impending driver switch, the test was part of Alpine’s scheduled TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) program, with fellow reserve driver Paul Aron also taking part over the weekend. The team insists the timing was coincidental.
Nevertheless, the Sky Sports team focused heavily on Doohan throughout the weekend, while also discussing the uncertain futures of drivers like Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, and Lewis Hamilton.
Speculation around Alpine’s second seat hasn’t been helped by the involvement of Flavio Briatore, who continues to wield influence behind the scenes. Still, the Italian maintains his only goal is performance.
“I just want the team to have the best drivers—whether it’s Colapinto, Jack, or Paul,” Briatore said. “I’m not a killer. I’ve represented Fernando Alonso for 23 years, which shows I support drivers who deliver.”
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