What is going on at Alpine?

The first race of a Formula 1 driver career should be a great culminating point. A moment of emotion, anticipation and the beginning of a trip that would expect to last more than seven rounds. But Jack Doohan’s future was already questioned while aligned on the network in Abu Dhabi at the end of last year.

Franco Colapinto had become an extremely attractive proposal for a team in a limbo state. Alpine was one year after finishing his Power Unity program and becoming a client team, and executive advisor Flavio Briatore was not avoiding making difficult decisions. Therefore, the potential availability of a driver who had shown a impression rhythm and the capacity for Williams, but also came with an important financial support from Argentina and South America, was always going to be of interest.

The suggestions that Doohan was obtaining only one race at the end of 2024 as hearing and could lose their seat during the winter was inaccurate, but the pressure on the Australian only increased each in the season out of the season when Colapinto Wiests. At that time, writing was already on the wall.

Although Alpine insisted that he was not predicted that Colapinto would compete for the team, the Williams team director, James Vowles, cools the game.

“There is a Weby period of time, I hope you are running through Alpine,” Vowles said at the launch of Williams preseason. “The reason we did this is that he wanted him to run in ’25 and/or ’26. It is the best opportunity he has with Alpine, in terms of [getting on the grid]That’s why it’s there. And I don’t mean that to the detriment of the jacket.

“I hope Jack has a successful time. But ultimately, Franco is my driver that I want to return to that car. After a period of time, he will return to Williams. That period of time is not a line set. Williams at some point.”

It is not difficult to see why Williams wanted to hold on to Collapint in some way, given the potential he showed in the late 2024. There were too many heavy accidents, but he was a rookie suddenly delivered the seat mid -season, and by letting him join Alpine for a spell, he could become a competitor, but it would also be a valuable experience to help soften the rough edges.

And it was also a rather obvious grip for Alpine. Like him or they hate him, you can’t deny that Briatore is decisive resurrected. If a driver can bring yield and money, Briatore will never take the time.

What has been a bone, a surprise this week is not that Doohan has been degraded after six races, certainly a brutal decision and one that is extremely hard in the Australian, at the same time that it makes sense where Colapinto is the comforting oak.

There were no signs of an external tension leg in Alpine between the executive advisor Flavio Briatore (left) and the director of the OKEs team, but the first now has both roles while the second is out. Sam Bagall/Getty Images

The paddock was full of questions about Doohan’s future from Abu Dhabi, but he had become quieter before Miami, since he simply felt as a matter of time until a change was made. Last weekend he saw that speculation increased again, culminating in the announcement that Colapinto will take over the race seat for the next five races at least.

However, in the midst of all that approach, there was only one whisper that I heard suggestions that could be split.

Okes had been strong in his defense of Doohan, but never ruled out the change, as soon as the preseason. Back in Bahrain, the team director was anxious to remember the observers that it is a job to be an F1 pilot, and delivering on the track was the name of the game.

“I feel sorry for him because I get everyone to move the clickbait and that is a topic of discussion,” Okes had said. “But I think it should also be given a little space to continue with him for some rounds and then at the end of the day, like all drivers, you must deliver. But I think he is doing a very good job.

Doohan’s last departure for Alpine in Miami certainly did not am equivalent to the team from giving him space. Being on the rear foot at the time of his release of the garage in the Sprint qualification led Doohan to be eliminated in SQ1 and expressed his disgust on the radio of the team, but recovered to overcome Pierre Gasly for the first time on Saturday before being taken from the race by a puncture collected in the contact for the first time where the innocent part was.

It should be noted that it had crashed expensive in Australia and Japan, the latter due to leaving the DRS Open Turn 1, a driver error by which the team clearly blamed it, but had also shown potential flashes. Six races in the year, had certainly shown Miles to drift from Gasly, but also had many possibilities to show what he could do in Miami.

And yet, if Okes’s resignation was linked to the driver’s decision, it would be a surprise. His comments had always been carefully written in a way that only fed the conviction that at some point Colapinto would be promoted, and he was a Brirator rent, assuming the role in the knowledge that he says what the executive advisor says.

It was clear from the outside that Colapinto was part of the configuration before he had a chance in a racing seat, and for that purpose it was obvious for Oakes and the team internally also.

All the signs were there from the moment Doohan entered the car in Abu Dhabi, but apart from the propensity of the team to run through the team directors in recent seasons, now looking for its fifth in four years, there were.

Less than a year after his controversial return, Briatore’s return is complete, since he assumes the responsibilities Oakes has resigned, but the Italian insists that the couple has a good relationship and their departure was not due to any disagreement.

Whether the real reasons leave or not, marks another tumultuous week in a team that simply cannot advance in a constant career of any child. Automobile performance is usually the most difficult to find in F1, but in Alpine it is stability that is very missing.