Ralf Schumacher believes that Formula 1 could lead to the next driver’s change before the upcoming race weekend in Bahrain.
According to him, Alpine driver Jack Doohan could lose his cockpit in the motorsport king class after a weak start of the season.
“At the moment he is overwhelmed with the situation. You will sit down with him and I’m curious to see what happens. He is not sure the next race,” said Schumacher at “Sky”.
The past Formula 1 weekend in Suzuka had already started a bitter deep blow for Doohan. In the second training session, the rookie crashes in the first curve because he failed to slow down. His alpine bolide suffered almost total damage. “He gets in and makes this fatal mistake,” criticized Schumacher.
“ORF” guest commentator and ex-formula 1 team boss Franz Tost was also amazed at Doohan, who finished 19th in qualifying, but drove a very stable race on Sunday.
“He drives his first, second, third round, you don’t go in there with such an overspeed. He almost didn’t slow down at all,” complained Tost. He thinks that one like Doohan in Formula 1 in principle has “nothing to look for”.
Formula 1: Alpine gives “misjudgment” by Doohan too
Alpine blamed a “misjudgment” by Doohan for the crash, RTL expert Christian Danner spoke of a “simple driving error”.
If there is a driver’s exchange at Alpine, it would be the second within the still young Formula 1 season 2025.
Previously, Red Bull had pulled the ripcord and deported Liam Lawson to the racing bulls. Yuki Tsunoda took over his place next to Max Verstappen in the A team of the Austrian Brause Imperium.
Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes initially denied a doohan-out in Japan. “He stays whatever happens. It’s a clear yes, he is with us,” he said at “Sky”.