Alpine set to promote F1 junior after spending ‘many millions’ on training

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With less than a handful of seats left on the Formula 1 grid for next year, attention has turned to Alpine’s plans for their 2025 driver lineup.

Only Pierre Gasly has been confirmed at the French outfit after Esteban Ocon announced he would be leaving to join Haas next year, meaning they are still left without a complete lineup.

Mick Schumacher is seen as a potential option having impressed in Alpine’s World Endurance Championship programme this year, while 21-year-old Formula 2 racer Jack Doohan is another option.

Both drivers took part in a test recently with Alpine, whereby Doohan posted the fastest times but Schumacher was reportedly better on the race runs.

Discussing who is likely to get the seat alongside Gasly, journalist Tobias Gruner believes it could come down to one simple factor for Alpine when writing in his column for AMuS.

Jack Doohan set for second Alpine seat after ‘many millions’ of investment

Doohan has been a leading figure in Alpine’s driver academy which has seen him test various cars this year, including their 2022 challenger at Silverstone and Zandvoort.

He also tested their 2021 Hungarian GP race winner, the A521, at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya in February. According to reports, Doohan has ‘impressed’ Alpine behind the scenes during these private tests.

The extensive testing programme mimics the same Oscar Piastri had before he was due to make his F1 debut with the team, months before him being swept by McLaren which led to a controversial contract dispute.

According to Gruner, the number of hours put into testing Doohan compared to Schumacher could prove to be the main factor when it comes to Alpine deciding whether he is ready for a full-time F1 driver next season.

“Officially, the team did not want to comment on the performance of the two candidates. Behind the scenes, however, it was heard that Doohan is said to have been a bit faster,” wrote Gruner.

“In defence of Schumacher, it should be mentioned that Doohan already knew the two-year-old Alpine racer from previous test drives, while his German rival had to get into the groove. However, it is understandable that the choice of Alpine, in the end, falls on its junior who they have spent many millions on training.”

Mick Schumacher could still be in contention

While Alpine has willingly spent a lot of money in preparing Doohan for a seat, it does not mean Schumacher is completely out of contention.

The dynamics within the team have changed since they announced Renault’s plans to scale back its involvement as a manufacturer by reallocating its resources at Viry Chatillon, where its power units are manufactured, to other areas of the business.

READ MORE: Who is F1 reserve and Alpine WEC star Mick Schumacher? Everything to know

Alpine is expected to have a technical partnership lined up with Mercedes from 2026 meaning Schumacher, who is their reserve driver, could see him being a factor as well as being close to current team advisor Flavio Briatore.

Doohan would be a more logical choice, however, as it would give credibility to Alpine’s driver academy system which has yet to see one of its talents promoted from junior formulas under its current guise.