Jack Doohan Faces Uncertain F1 Future After … Read More
Jack Doohan’s Formula 1 career may already be in serious jeopardy, with his recent removal from Alpine’s race seat raising doubts about a potential return. The young Australian was promoted to a full-time drive with Alpine for the 2025 season, stepping in after Esteban Ocon’s departure. However, after just six races, Doohan has been replaced by Franco Colapinto for the next five Grand Prix weekends, leaving his future hanging in the balance.
Former F1 driver and current pundit Karun Chandhok has cast further doubt on Doohan’s prospects, suggesting that the 21-year-old is not in high demand elsewhere on the grid. Speaking on the Sky F1 podcast, Chandhok stated that Doohan’s initial opportunity came more from Alpine’s lack of options rather than his standout performance or broad appeal to other teams.
“I think it’s going to be tough for him to land a seat somewhere else, to be honest,” Chandhok said. “He only got the Alpine seat because they didn’t have many other experienced drivers available. Bottas was mentioned, but they opted to promote from within as part of their rebuilding phase.”
Chandhok emphasized that prior to his Alpine promotion, Doohan hadn’t been seriously considered by other teams, and that situation hasn’t changed. “I don’t think Jack was on the radar of any other team before his promotion, and I can’t see that changing now,” he added.
With Cadillac preparing to enter F1 in the near future, there’s been increased speculation surrounding the driver market. However, Chandhok noted that Doohan’s name hasn’t surfaced as a key target, further diminishing hopes of a swift comeback.
The pressure now shifts to Franco Colapinto, who has been given a five-race trial by Alpine. His performance during this stint will likely determine whether Doohan has any hope of reclaiming the seat. Chandhok pointed out that the short-term nature of Colapinto’s appointment is unusual, suggesting uncertainty within the team about their long-term plans.
“The best chance for Jack now is if Colapinto underperforms,” said Chandhok. “If that happens, maybe Alpine will give Jack some more testing and an opportunity to develop further. But it’s a long shot.”
Chandhok concluded by highlighting the strange nature of publicly announcing a temporary five-race deal, calling it a sign of Alpine’s indecision and a potential lack of confidence in their young drivers. Unless Colapinto falters significantly, Doohan’s hopes of returning to the F1 grid may depend entirely on internal opportunities at Alpine.
