Williams F1 chief's comment after Franco Colapinto move speaks volumes for Jack Doohan
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Williams chief has admitted Franco Colapinto has joined Alpine to chase a Formula 1 race seat this year. Like the rest of the grid, Alpine currently have a full driver line-up for the coming campaign. But Jack Doohan is understood to be under immediate pressure to keep hold of his seat despite having started only one F1 race.
The Australian will start the season on the grid alongside Pierre Gasly. But Alpine have been chasing a deal for Colapinto for some time and, now that they have got their man, there is a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings. The completion of Colapinto's move means Williams team principal James Vowles has followed through on his pledge to find a new home for the Argentine. And he has also gained a healthy fee from Alpine which will help fund his work to push his team further up the grid.
And, when commenting on Colapinto's departure, Vowles also hinted that his former driver could be racing in F1 again very soon. "We believe this agreement with Alpine represents Franco's best chance of securing a race seat in 2025 or 2026," he said. Renault adviser Flavio Briatore, who has a significant say in the Alpine team's driver decisions, has already made it clear that poor performance will not be tolerated. Doohan's future is in his own hands as the man currently holding the seat, but the blunt reality is that he needs to hit the ground running in 2025 - or accept that his F1 career will be short-lived.
