The question of whether Jack Doohan at Alpine F1 is only a regular driver floats like a sword of Damocles over the season preparations of the French Formula 1 racing team. The inquiries about promoting replacement pilot Franco Colapinto do not stop. Now there are first consequences.
How much familiarization time does Jack Doohan get as an alpine trunk pilot? This question ensures unrest in the French racing team long before the start of the new Formula 1 season-not least because Alpine consultant Flavio Briatore always fueled corresponding rumors himself.
“The only thing that is safe is death,” the well -networked Italian explained in December to the French daily “Le Parisien”: “We will start the year with Pierre and Jack. I can guarantee that. See in the course of the season. ”
For him, “results” are crucial, Briatore continued.
Backing for a 22-year Formula 1 rookie looks different. This is also the case with the many media representatives who are in London as part of the design presentation of all teams. They asked Doohan about the next to internal competition through replacement pilot Franco Colapinto.
Formula 1: Alpine intervened to Doohan when asked about Colapinto question
After the third question to Doohan on the Colapinto theme, it became Alpine’s press department too much. It went energetically in between. “I think we have now treated the topic of Franco exhaustively, so let’s put it on,” said a spokesman for the racing team: “We now had two questions. And now please go on with something else.”
A scenario had taken up the question of journalist to Doohan, according to which the young Australian – as recently speculated in the media – could be replaced by Colapinto after just five or six races.
Previously, Doohan had to answer the question, among other things, whether he did not feel pressed by the arrival of the Argentinian vertical starter from the 2024 season, where Alpine Colapinto had given a multi -year contract.
“Is that a question?”, Doohan replied: “Last year I was a 21-year-old replacement driver and I also had a long-term contract. No, I don’t feel undermined. Maybe I should feel undermined. I know it I don’t actually understand the question. “
He also did not want to be put off by the pressure, Doohan also made it clear: “When I was sitting in the kart and later in Formula 3 and Formula 2, I knew: I would give everything to one day in the formula 1 to land.