Alpine benches Jack Doohan for at least 5 races, team president out
The Alpine Formula One team is facing massive changes, with the replacement of a driver and the resignation of its team principal.
Alpine announced Wednesday that Franco Colapinto will take the place of Jack Doohan for the next five weekends, hoping to find better results for a team anchored by Pierre Gasly. Alpine said it plans to rotate drivers following an ongoing "assessment."
Doohan, 22, was a reserve driver for Alpine but was promoted to the main race squad last season when Esteban Ocon, who moved to Haas, departed.
But Doohan's performance has been criticized. In seven starts this season, his best finish is 13th, and the Australian has zero points and sits tied for last in the driver standings. Gasly has just seven points and is 12th.
By contrast McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have a combined 250 points and are 1-2 in the driver standings.
Doohan will take Colapinto's position as a reserve driver.
"I am very proud to have achieved my lifelong ambition to be a professional Formula 1 driver and I will forever be grateful to the team for helping me achieve this dream," Doohan said. "Obviously, this latest chapter is a tough one for me to take because, as a professional driver, naturally I want to be racing.
"That said, I appreciate the team's trust and commitment. We have long-term goals as a team to achieve and I will continue to give my maximum efforts in any way I can to help achieve those. For now, I will keep my head down, keep working hard, watch with interest the next five races and keep chasing my own personal goals."
It is unclear what role, if any, the driver move had to do with the immediate resignation of Alpine principal Oliver Oakes.
In a statement issued Tuesday night, Alpine announced Oakes' resignation and said team executive adviser would add Oakes' duties on top of his.
"The team would like to thank Oliver for his efforts since he joined last summer and for his contribution in helping the team secure sixth place in the 2024 Constructors' Championship, the statement read. Alpine is ninth of 10 teams in the current standings.
"The team will not be making any further comment."
Colapinto, of Argentina, will be behind the wheel at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Italy the weekend of May 16-18.
"I cannot wait to get started," said Colapinto, who turns 22 later this month.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Tiafoe crashes out, Rune cruises through at Queen's Club
FRANCES Tiafoe fell to a first round exit at Queen's Club on Monday as veteran Brit Dan Evans rolled back the years, while fourth seed Holger Rune eased through. Evans, who needed a wildcard for his place in the draw after sliding to 199 in the world rankings, proved too good for the seventh seed in a 7-5, 6-2 win. 'I still believed I've got that tennis in me and I still believe I can do good things inside the top 100. But believing it and it happening is a lot different,' said Evans after winning the first men's match on the newly-christened Andy Murray Arena. The 35-year-old was a fitting victor as he had partnered Murray in his final match before retirement in the men's doubles at the Paris Olympics. 'A few people mentioned it, that I had finished with him in his last match and then played the men's event, the first match,' added Evans. 'It was pretty cool to do that.' Rune had no such problems as the Dane eased into his grass court season with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Australian lucky loser Christopher O'Connell. British number two Jacob Fearnley joined Evans in round two after he made short work of Australia's Alex Bolt with a 6-2 6-4 victory. But there was disappointment for another home favourite in Cameron Norrie, who was beaten 7-6 (8/6) 1-6 6-1 by Czech rising star Jakub Mensik. The 19-year-old, who beat Novak Djokovic to win the Miami Masters in March, next faces Roberto Bautista Agut, who edged out Nuno Borges 6-7 (6/8), 7-5, 6-4. Qualifier Mackenzie McDonald got the better of 38-year-old Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4. Carlos Alcaraz plays for the first time since his remarkable French Open victory over Jannik Sinner on Tuesday when he begins his quest for a second title at Queen's against fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Tauson through in Nottingham, Danilovic defeated in first round
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 28, 2025, Denmark's Clara Tauson reacts during her second-round match against Netherlands' Arantxa Rus REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo (Reuters) -Danish second seed Clara Tauson is safely through to the second round of the Nottingham Open after a 7-5 6-2 win over Australian Kimberly Birrell on Monday, while ninth seed Olga Danilovic's tournament ended with defeat by Dayana Yastremska. Tauson, who reached her first WTA 1000 final in Dubai earlier this year where she knocked out world number one Aryna Sabalenka along the way, made a winning start to her grass season and will face Russia's Anna Blinkova next. Blinkova had a comfortable 6-2 6-3 win over compatriot Kamilla Rakhimova. Ukrainian Yastremska won a second set tiebreak to down Danilovic 6-4 7-6(4) and now meets Croatian qualifier Antonia Ruzic who beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-0 6-4. The only Briton in action on the opening day, wildcard Hannah Klugman, lost 6-2 6-2 to fourth seed Yulia Putintseva while Canadian fifth seed Leylah Fernandez beat Suzan Lamens 6-3 4-6 7-5. Czech seventh seed Linda Noskova beat Romanian lucky loser Anca Todoni 6-4 3-6 7-6(6), and will face a British wildcard next, meeting the winner between Francesca Jones and Harriet Dart. (Reporting by Trevor StynesEditing by Christian Radnedge)
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Motor racing-Winner Russell driving better than ever but title a long shot
Jun 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Winner of the F1 Canadian Grand Prix Mercedes driver George Russell (63) reacts at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images MONTREAL (Reuters) -George Russell said he was driving better than ever and ready to fight for a Formula One championship with Mercedes after taking the team's first win of the season in Canada, but this year still looks a long shot. The Briton, out of contract at the end of 2025 but confident of staying, recognised any title chance this season would probably require the McLaren drivers to make mistakes and drop points. McLaren's Lando Norris and championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri collided in Montreal, with the former retiring from the race while the Australian moved 22 points clear after 10 of 24 rounds. Russell is fourth overall but still a mighty 62 points behind Piastri, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen is third. "I don't really know how Max and I are so close to those two (McLaren drivers) because they clearly have the most dominant car," said Russell. "I think the two of us have been very consistent and getting the maximum result from our packages week in, week out. But I can't imagine them to continue throwing away points in the manner they're doing. "Of course, we hope that continues to be the case, but I don't foresee us getting in the championship fight through pure pace as Lando did last year. We'll only be there if results like today continue or things like today continue to happen." Russell was sure Sunday's result would help the negotiations for a new deal, although he had no concerns despite continuing chatter about a possible move for four-time champion Verstappen. "I know I'm going to be on the grid next year. I feel that I'm driving better than ever. I still feel I've got more in the tank," said the Briton. "I feel ready to fight for a world championship." Russell said he was not talking with anyone other than Mercedes, there was no rush and he planned to stay. "There haven't been any hard feelings with any of the talks that have been going around, especially around Max," he added. "If every driver had no contract for next year, Max would be number one for every single team. And that's understandable. But ultimately, there are two seats for every race team. "I know if I continue to perform as I'm doing, my position would not be under threat whatsoever. So, I feel in a good place." Russell said he and 18-year-old Italian rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli, third on Sunday, were doing the job and "why would you want to change something that's working?" (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
