Will Jack Doohan’s Formula 1 career end before it really gets going? In the fight for the Alpine cockpit for 2025, the Australian beat Mick Schumacher and was even able to celebrate his Grand Prix debut early due to the dispute between Esteban Ocon and Alpine at the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
But will the supposed opportunity soon become a curse for the young rookie? Around the season finale of the premier class, rumors were already circulating in the paddock that Flavio Briatore was supposed to have watched Doohan’s premiere very closely.
Reason: With Franco Colapinto, the Italian has a possible alternative on his list. The Argentinian caused a sensation at times in his first races for Williams, but came away empty-handed when the regular places for 2025 were awarded.
Now Briatore is said to have his eye on Colapinto, who is also interesting in terms of sponsors with the hype that has been created around him in South America.
“I would do it the same way,” says ex-Formula 1 driver and expert Marc Surer with regard to the rumored test for Doohan. Basically, the Swiss finds the opportunity for the newcomer to be welcome: “Jack Doohan is Alpine’s young driver, he was the reserve driver. He is entitled to be used. I think that’s great, because why else would you encourage young drivers?”
Surer about Doohan: “If he doesn’t bring it…”
But Formula 1 is also a tough business – in an exclusive video interview on the Formula1.de YouTube channel, Surer points out: “But if he doesn’t make it, if there’s another one on the market like the Colapinto, who showed talent, but also a lot of crashes – but still, there’s still something to be had, there’s still a diamond in the rough…”
For the Swiss, one thing is clear: “Why not, if you say he has more potential in the long term? Well, I understand Briatore, and he’s tough enough to pull it off.”
Briatore made it clear early in his career that Alpine’s current special advisor doesn’t hesitate for long when he spots a talent: after just one strong performance for Jordan in 1991, he bought the young Michael Schumacher out of his contract and sat him in the next race in Monza into the Benetton – the rest is history… which Briatore would be only too happy to repeat with Colapinto.