Why Jack Doohan’s latest Alpine test was a disaster amid Franco Colapinto speculation

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Alpine driver Jack Doohan may be the first driver in the history of Formula 1 who is under pressure despite never taking part in a Grand Prix.

The Formula 1 driver market has been frenetic this year, and then Esteban Ocon decided to leave Alpine for Haas, which created a vacancy within the French team.

Alpine considered their options before deciding to give reserve and simulator driver Jack Doohan his opportunity to race in F1.

Doohan has been testing extensively in Alpine’s previous F1 cars, but both of his runs in FP1 this season haven’t gone to plan.

Rain impacted both sessions and limited the number of laps Doohan was able to complete.

The Australian’s debut at his home race in Melbourne is still a few months away, but already, talk has started that he might not be in the car next season.

Doohan may only have a five-race contract for 2025, meaning he immediately has to hit the ground running alongside Pierre Gasly.

Alpine have also been linked with signing Franco Colapinto after he missed out on a race seat at Williams.

If they managed to sign the Argentinian, then it’s Doohan who would likely miss out next year.

A report from Formu1a.uno has shared the details of Doohan’s latest test for Alpine.

Unfortunately, it didn’t go to plan at a time when he would have loved to prove himself to senior figures within the team.

Jack Doohan’s 2026 Pirelli tyre test doesn’t go to plan after Alpine reliability issues

Tyre manufacturer Pirelli have been undertaking testing days with several Formula 1 teams to help develop the next generation of tyres for the new cars being introduced in the sport in 2026.

On Wednesday, Doohan ran a modified version of Alpine’s 2023 car the Magny-Cours circuit in France to help test the new compounds.

It’s part of a two-day test with an emphasis on improving Pirelli’s wet tyres, a compound that has come in for criticism after drivers were wary to use it despite the torrential conditions at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

These tyres have the same rim diameter as the current generation but have a slightly smaller width.

Aston Martin and McLaren have already been used as part of these tests, however, Doohan’s initial run didn’t go to plan.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Alpine F1 driver Jack Doohan? Everything you need to know

After setting a 1:16.461 – just over a second slower than the current F1 lap record set by Michael Schumacher at the track in 2004, although it’s unknown if the test was running the same configuration of the track – Doohan ran into problems with the car.

Pirelli in a statement said: “Unfortunately, a technical problem with the car reduced the activity on the track.

“In total, Doohan completed 47 laps, with a best time of 1’16″461, achieved with slick tyres.

“Dry tyres were used initially, before switching to intermediates and extreme wet tyres on an artificially irrigated track.”

Doohan has a second day of running lined up on Thursday, but at a time when speculation has unexpectedly started around his F1 future, he needed to get as many laps under his belt as possible.

How Franco Colapinto could impact Jack Doohan’s 2025 Formula 1 debut with Alpine

Doohan has done everything he can to prove he deserves his shot in Formula 1 next year with Alpine.

Gasly has heralded the work Doohan has done behind the scenes this season, but F1 is cut-throat and Flavio Briatore is not shy when it comes to making difficult decisions.

Alpine recently asked Gasly to take part in a test alongside Doohan, with the Frenchman’s times and feedback about the 21-year-old then taken into account when deciding on the next steps for their driver line-up.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Doohan’s signing has harshly been called a marketing operation, however, if they were to sign Colapinto instead of him, his sponsorship backing would be playing a significant role as well.

Uncertainty seems to surround Alpine right now, especially after abandoning their Renault power units, and Doohan will hope he doesn’t end up caught in the crossfire.