Franco Colapinto set to make a return as Alpine evaluates dropping Jack Doohan: Reports

Jack Doohan's time at Alpine is reportedly up, as Franco Colapinto is likely being considered as an immediate replacement. According to rumors, the French team could likely swap Doohan with their reserve driver Colapinto as soon as the upcoming Imola Grand Prix.

Since the beginning of the 2025 season, Doohan was speculated to be on borrowed time, as Alpine's signing of Colapinto raised doubts over the former's future. However, the French team backed the Aussie to prove himself in the first half of the season.

Doohan has done the opposite of what was expected of him. He crashed in Australia and the FP1 session in Japan. Moreover, in China, he received penalties in the sprint race as well as the main Grand Prix.

In the latest mishap, Doohan crashed into Liam Lawson on lap one of the Miami Grand Prix, which resulted in a puncture, and he was forced to retire early. Since his performance is going downhill, The Race reported that Alpine was likely to sack Doohan before the upcoming race in Imola.

According to reports, Alpine reserve driver Franco Colapinto would reportedly replace Jack Doohan from Imola. Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s executive advisor, is a strong admirer of the Argentine driver after he scored points on his debut with Williams last year. Despite having a fair share of crashes in 2024, Briatore reportedly wanted to see him get a race seat.

Money is another factor driving Colapinto. He would bring major Latin American sponsorships, including Mercado Libre and Argentina’s state oil company YPF.

While a swap wasn't expected until the summer break, Alpine found themselves in a difficult position. On one side, there's an underperforming rookie, Doohan, who has shown flashes of speed. And on the other hand, Colapinto is a much more marketable and backed driver.

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Alpine team principal breaks silence on Franco Colapinto-Jack Doohan swap rumors

Franco Colapinto at F1 Grand Prix Of Australia - Practice - Source: Getty

Franco Colapinto is backed by Argentina's major oil company, YPF. Recently, its CEO, Horacio Marin, was recorded saying that Colapinto will be seen driving for Alpine from the 2025 Imola Grand Prix.

However, team principal Oliver Oakes has distanced himself from the comments made by Marin. Talking to the media, he said:

"I saw it, like everyone else. I think it was a sponsor from Argentina off-camera giving his view on Franco [Colapinto] when he’s going to be in the car. I’m sure there are a lot of people in Argentina who’d like him in the car this Sunday. We’ve been pretty open as a team that that’s just noise. Jack needs to continue doing a good job. But it’s natural that there’s always speculation there."

Alpine still appeared committed to Jack Doohan, at least in front of the camera. However, before the Imola GP weekend begins on May 16, the French team will likely make its stance more clear.