Is this the end of Jack Doohan’s F1 dream?

Confirmation of Franco Colapinto at Alpine for the F1 2026 season all but ends Jack Doohan’s hopes of a racing return with the Enstone operation.

The Australian, who dutifully gave his all for the team and was unceremoniously cut asunder after seven races, has officially learned his fate won’t include a return to an Alpine race seat in 2026.

Does Franco Colapinto’s confirmation mark the end for Jack Doohan?

Doohan made his F1 race debut at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, drafted in to replace the Haas-bound Esteban Ocon as the Frenchman agreed an early release.

It was just reward for the young Australian, who was a race winner in Formula 2 and Formula 3, who’d put his own ambitions on hold in 2024 to lend his full support to Alpine.

His work in the simulator amid a tough start to that campaign earned high praise from the team’s race drivers. During TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) running, he was in par in terms of pace with the likes of Ocon and Pierre Gasly.

That he was a member of the junior programme was also important, as after the fiasco that surrounded Oscar Piastri, and that other drivers had left the programme to gain an F1 berth, Doohan legitimised the Alpine Academy.

Hence, his appearance on the grid made sense. He’d served his apprenticeship, earned his stripes, and demonstrated his ability behind the wheel. He was a logical choice for a team in a position to take a risk on a rookie driver.

But rumours questioning his place in the team began even before he was called up to replace Ocon in Abu Dhabi.

Speculation surrounding a move for Franco Colapinto was strong, and while nothing came of it in late 2024, ahead of the start of the F1 2025 season, it was confirmed that he had joined the Enstone operation.

It was a move that heaped pressure on Doohan, one that undermined the young Australian at a critical stage of his own career.

Publicly, Doohan was the team’s preferred driver. He was the one who’d earned the call-up; he was the one who had the squad’s support. Only the actions behind the scenes didn’t back up that rhetoric.

The signing of a direct rival for the drive hardly inspires confidence. It hardly inspires loyalty. Indeed, there’s a strong argument to suggest it hastened Doohan’s demotion as he pushed harder than he might have otherwise done, leading to some of the early incidents he had.

It is worth stressing that Colapinto is blameless in this saga. He and his management have done the right thing for him and put forward the best case they can for his future. Doohan and his team have been doing the same thing. It was upon Alpine to make the decision that was deemed best for its future.

Throughout, Doohan remained professional. He refused to speak ill of the team and continued his duties, even after Colapinto took his drive. Even after the claimed six-race evaluation date came and went without change.

But now, with the Argentinian confirmed in the seat for next season, it’s time for Doohan to look after himself.

Set to turn 23 before the start of next season, it seems the F1 door is all but closed on him. Clearly, Alpine does not see him in its future, while another season as a test or reserve driver will do him no favours.

But there are seemingly no race drives on offer. Plus, the F1 driver market is incredibly difficult; Zhou Guanyu was unable to secure a drive despite three competitive years alongside Valtteri Bottas at Sauber, despite a year with Ferrari as test driver, and despite being managed by Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon. If Zhou can’t find a way back onto the grid, what chance does Doohan have?

An alternative is needed, and it comes as no surprise that the Aussie has been linked with a switch to Super Formula for next season.

While Formula 1 is the pinnacle of open-wheel motorsport, and arguably global motorsport, Super Formula is the next-best thing in terms of outright performance.

The cars sit somewhere between Formula 1 and Formula 2 with regulations that are more open than the feeder series, not that Doohan can realistically return to F2. It’d be a move that gets Doohan back behind the wheel and has the potential to reignite his career by affording him a platform upon which to showcase his talent.

If nothing else, it offers a good jumping-off point; from Super Formula, Doohan could easily move into GT or sports car racing, or choose to carve out a niche for himself in Japan. That looks like a solid career move at this point, and who knows what is to follow.

And while it is sad to think that Doohan’s F1 career lasted just seven races, the fact is he made it when so few do. He might have wished for more, or for a different ending, but perhaps he should instead consider himself lucky to have got there at all when Felipe Drugovich, Theo Pourchaire, and a host of others never did.

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