The moment Jack Doohan’s Alpine dream ended with that Briatore phone call

Michelle Foster
Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto

Jack Doohan is out and Franco Colapinto is in at Alpine

Jack Doohan’s Formula 1 dream unravelled the moment Flavio Briatore said: “We’ve decided to take Colapinto for the next race”.

He thought it was all “bullshit”, the months of speculation about his future, but “now they get to be right, the press”. And that’s what “annoys me about it”.

Flavio Briatore tells Jack Doohan he is replaced by Franco Colapinto

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Doohan signed with Alpine in August 2024, the Australian reserve driver set to be promoted to a race-seat in the 2025 championship.

He was, however, given an early debut when Alpine parted ways with Esteban Ocon ahead of the final race in 2024. That was a deal done to free Ocon to test for his 2025 team, Haas, at the post-season Abu Dhabi outing.

Doohan’s debut didn’t set the stage alight, P20 in qualifying and P15 in the race, the Aussie making up one position.

And so began the rumour mill, fueled by Alpine’s decision in January to sign Colapinto – and his mega millions sponsors.

Initially brought in as a reserve driver, the writing was on the wall from the get go and Doohan’s failure to score points, even though his vastly more experienced teammate Pierre Gasly scored only seven in their six races together in 2025, meant Doohan was dropped. Colapinto was promoted.

And Netflix’s Drive to Survive caught it all.

From Alpine’s defacto team boss Briatore making the decision on “Colapinto from the next race” to Doohan and Colapinto hearing the news.

While Colapinto proudly proclaimed he was an “Alpine Formula 1 driver” with a laugh, “saying it was great to be back in Formula 1,” Doohan’s reaction was disappointment.

“I thought that it was all bullshit, and now they get to be right,” he said.

Questioned by his father Mick, “the press”, he replied: “The press, yeah. That’s what annoys me the most.”

Colapinto replaced Doohan at round seven of the season and although the Argentine driver did not score a point in his 18 races, he will remain with Alpine for F1 2026 as Pierre Gasly’s teammate.

Doohan has joined Haas as its reserve driver for the season.

Colapinto, though, has best be warned who holds the power at Alpine.

Speaking to Briatore after his Imola qualifying crash, he told the Frenchman: “Sorry, it was my mistake.”

Briatore replied: I know, but if you break the car because of your mistake, it’s my mistake too.”

Later in the season as Colapinto failed to scored points, he suggested to Briatore: “We should something with my car.”

He was shut down by the Italian: “I’m not interested. I decide what I do, you’re the problem.”

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Alpine Franco Colapinto Jack Doohan

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