Franco Colapinto says 'It's too late' as he inches closer to Jack Doohan's seat at Alpine

Argentinian Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto was seen testing the new Alpine car in Monza. He was announced as the reserve driver for them earlier this year. He is expected to replace Jack Doohan very soon if the australian underperforms in the upcoming races for the team. Alpine Renault is currently in the last position as neither of their drivers didn’t scored any points. Pierre Gasly is a long-term project for Alpine, so his seat will be secure throughout this year.

But the rookie driver Doohan is now in a lot of trouble, as recently at the Japanese GP he crashed his car heavily on the first corner. He took the corner with DRS open, and that is what cost him hugely. Doohan also crashed in the Australian GP, which is his home race. With Franco Colapinto waiting on the gates, his seat is uncertain and could be replaced in one or two races if he doesn't bring the desired results for the team.

Also Read: F1 slaps Carlos Sainz with a huge 20,000-euro fine for taking a bathroom break

Franco Colapinto to replace Doohan

The bad news for Doohan is that Colapinto is doing TPC testing in Monza. This is done to familiarise a driver with the machine before making a debut for the team. There were rumours that Alpine bought Colapinto, paying 17 to 20.5 million euros. So, they will definitely try to use him in the upcoming races. Colapinto commented that one F1 team fell asleep during his driver signing, and now it is too late, as he is an Alpine driver. Colapinto is referring to Red Bull Racing, which tried to sign him last year but later backed off from the deal after his multiple crashes. 

The Argentinean driver said, “I am an Alpine driver, and I have a contract with the team, with Alpine. I am working with them, and I hope for an opportunity in that team. They made a huge effort to have me. I mean, if the other guys fell asleep now, it’s too late. Obviously, I want to be back racing.” If he replaces Doohan, then it’s bad news for the Australian driver, as his F1 career could be over before it even started. Jack is now under huge pressure, and he wants to finish inside the points table within the next two races to keep his F1 career alive.

Also Read: Ranking the top 10 best and worst drivers at the 2025 F1 Japanese Grand Prix