BREAKING: Franco Colapinto to Replace Jack Doohan at Alpine; Oliver Oaks Resigns as Team Principal

In a major shake-up within the Alpine Formula 1 team, it has been officially confirmed that Franco Colapinto will replace Jack Doohan for at least the next five races. But the changes don’t stop there. In a surprising development, Team Principal Oliver Oaks has resigned from his role with immediate effect. Alpine released a statement noting that “As of today, Flavio Briatore will continue as Executive Advisor and will also be covering the duties previously performed by Oliver Oaks.” 

That marks Briatore’s return to a more hands-on leadership role within the team, raising eyebrows given his storied and controversial history in Formula 1 management. 

For fans less familiar with Colapinto, he’s an Argentinian driver who joined the Williams Racing Driver Academy in 2023 and made his F1 debut in FP1 at the 2024 British Grand Prix. A proven race winner across various junior single-seater categories, he was sixth in the 2024 Formula 2 standings at the time of his F1 call-up, with one win and two second-place finishes. Colapinto replaced Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the 2024 F1 season at Williams. 

The Australian driver being replaced, Jack Doohan, has been Alpine’s reserve driver since 2023, and stepped into the F1 car during that last race of the 2024 season in Abu Dhabi, replacing Esteban Ocon. This season, he struggled to perform well, having two DNF’s, and finishing outside the points in the rest of the races. 

With Colapinto stepping in and Briatore taking on expanded responsibilities, all eyes will be on how Alpine navigates the next phase of the season. Leaving question marks on Colapinto’s future with only five races to prove himself. These moves suggest a team not just reacting to performance issues, but actively redefining its direction. One thing is clear: Alpine is no longer playing it safe.