Alpine has made it official. Jack Doohan will not be part of the team in any capacity when the 2026 Formula 1 season begins. The French outfit announced on Tuesday that they have reached a mutual agreement with the Australian driver to end their relationship completely, allowing him to pursue opportunities elsewhere. It brings to a close what started as a promising academy success story but ended up being one of the shortest and most difficult stints in recent Formula 1 history.
How it all started to go downhill?
Doohan joined the Alpine Academy in 2022 after leaving the Red Bull junior program. He was coming off a solid first season in Formula 2 where he picked up three wins and finished sixth overall. His second year in F2 went even better, with a third place finish in 2023 that came alongside his first taste of Formula 1 as Alpine’s reserve driver. He chose not to race in 2024 and instead focused entirely on his reserve duties, learning the systems and building relationships with the team.
That patience looked like it was about to pay off when Alpine gave him his debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Esteban Ocon was already confirmed to be leaving for Haas, so the team brought Doohan in a race early to give him a head start. He became the first member of the Alpine Academy to actually graduate into a race seat with the main team, which should have been a moment of pride for both him and the organization.
The problems began before Doohan even drove a lap as an official Alpine driver in 2025. The team signed Franco Colapinto as a reserve driver on a multi-year deal in January, and the writing was already on the wall. Colapinto had impressed everyone during a nine race cameo with Williams at the end of 2024, and he brought significant sponsorship backing with him. Flavio Briatore, who had become a powerful advisor at Alpine, was pushing hard for the Argentine to get a chance.
Doohan had to spend the entire lead up to the Australian Grand Prix answering questions about whether his seat was secure. He silenced some of the noise by making it into Q2 and qualifying 14th in Melbourne, which was a decent result given the circumstances. But then race day happened. Wet conditions caught him out on the opening lap, he spun into the barrier, and his home race was over before it really began.
Things did not improve from there. In China he picked up penalties for clumsy moves in both the sprint and the main race. At Suzuka he had a massive crash at around 190 miles per hour, partly because he was trying to make up for lost time after missing opening practice to let Ryo Hirakawa run in the car. After six races without scoring a single point, Alpine made the switch. Colapinto came in at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, and what the team initially called a rotation turned out to be permanent.
What about Colapinto?
To be fair to Doohan, Colapinto did not exactly light the world on fire either. The Argentine also struggled to score points during what turned out to be a terrible season for Alpine overall. The team finished last in the constructors championship in 2025, which meant neither driver had much to work with. But Colapinto showed enough improvement in the second half of the year that Alpine felt comfortable keeping him for 2026 alongside Pierre Gasly.
There was a brief moment where it looked like Doohan might get another chance. He secured some decent sponsorship backing for the final three races of the season, which at least gave him leverage to make an argument for his return. It was not enough. Alpine had already decided that Gasly and Colapinto would be their pairing for the new regulations era, and Doohan was left on the outside looking in.
What’s the official verdict?
Alpine kept things brief and professional in their announcement. They confirmed the mutual agreement to part ways and thanked Doohan for his commitment and professionalism over the past four years. The statement highlighted that he was the first Alpine Academy graduate to make it to a race seat with the team, which is true even if the whole experience lasted less than seven races spread across two years.
Interestingly, Doohan himself has not made any public comments yet about the split. His time as Alpine’s reserve driver during the second half of 2025 mostly involved simulator work and development duties behind the scenes. There was never any real indication that the team was considering promoting him back to a race seat, so this announcement just makes official what everyone already knew was coming.
What can Doohan do next?
The good news for Doohan is that his Formula 1 career is probably not over just yet. He has been linked with a move to Super Formula in Japan, specifically with Kondo Racing, which is backed by Toyota. That timing could actually work out well for him. Toyota has been increasing its investment in Haas, and there are reports suggesting Doohan could take on a reserve driver role with the American team while also racing in Super Formula.
That kind of dual program would give him a chance to rebuild his reputation and stay connected to the Formula 1 paddock. Several drivers have used similar paths to get back into full time seats after setbacks. The key for Doohan will be performing well in Super Formula and showing that his struggles at Alpine were more about the circumstances than his actual talent level.
He has also made a change on the management side. Doohan has signed with Khalil Beschir for 2026, who also manages Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg. That connection to experienced Formula 1 drivers could help open doors and provide guidance as he tries to navigate his way back onto the grid for 2027 or beyond.
What does Alpine now have on hand?
Alpine now moves forward with Gasly and Colapinto for what will be a crucial season. The 2026 regulations are the biggest shake up Formula 1 has seen in years, with completely new power units and radically different aerodynamic rules. The team finished dead last in 2025, so they desperately need the fresh start that new regulations can provide. Having two drivers who already know the team and have built relationships with the engineers should help them hit the ground running when testing begins.
The team still has Paul Aron and Kush Maini on their books as reserve drivers, so they are covered if anything happens during the season. Aron in particular got several test and practice outings during 2025, so he is familiar with how Alpine operates and could step in if needed.
