Why Alpine axing Doohan for Colapinto would be bad for F1

Alpine's move to further bolster its ranks with Franco Colapinto can spell nothing but bad news for Jack Doohan, who is preparing to embark on his rookie season in F1.

Having already added Paul Aron and Ryo Hirakawa to its stable, ahead of juniors Victor Martins and Kush Maini, the driver roster in Enstone was already crowded, so signing the Argentine can be interpreted as nothing but a statement of intent from Alpine management.

Doohan was already under considerable pressure amid - unfounded - rumours he has a limited number of rounds to impress once the campaign gets underway in Melbourne and the proven-correct speculation that has linked Colapinto with Alpine over the past few months.

However, the recent development, which essentially formalises the intense expectations placed upon Doohan, makes his early steps in F1 markedly more difficult than necessary.

Alpine maintains that it will be on both Doohan and team-mate Pierre Gasly to perform and continue to earn their places in the driver line-up, but given the latter's form towards the end of last term and his status within the team, it appears the Frenchman is being used as cover whilst Alpine postures.

With Gasly looking more than secure, why else would Alpine bring in Colapinto - and even more bench depth - if it was not positioning itself to be able to make a change to the newer half of its garage?

Saying the quiet part out loud

Colapinto has joined from Williams, where team principal James Vowles took a commendable stance with Logan Sargeant in giving him as long as he could, seemingly as the antithesis to the often-merciless approach employed by others.

So, whilst Alpine insists it has nothing immediately up its sleeve, in what feels like an if you cannot beat them, join them moment, Vowles said the quiet part out loud upon confirming the Argentine's move to Enstone.

"We believe this agreement with Alpine represents Franco’s best chance of securing a race seat in 2025 or 2026," the statement read, with the inclusion of this year being particularly telling.

Not to mention the fact that Colapinto has joined on a multi-year deal, something that is almost unheard of in F1 for a third driver.

Either way, the prospect of Doohan being sidelined, potentially only a handful of rounds into his first season, flirts with a bleak reality - one that would ultimately be damaging to F1.

What it could mean for F1

F1 is undoubtedly a ruthless and unforgiving environment, and so it should be. But if Red Bull's handling of Nyck de Vries was deemed perhaps too harsh, then anything more severe than that must be viewed as extreme.

First and foremost, much depends on the drivers in the equation. Doohan, with one grand prix start to his name, is undeniably quick - particularly over one lap - and would have put together a pair of F2 championship challenges had it not been for more than his fair share of bad luck.

Colapinto, on the other hand, is more proven at the F1 level. He impressed early during his nine-round stint for Williams last year, despite only having been half-way through his rookie F2 campaign.

However, although often on the pace of team-mate AlexAlbon and with considerable resolve, the 21-year-old was crash-prone, a plight that Williams could barely endure.

Both are inexperienced and Colapinto is benefitting from a hint of recency bias in how they are being stacked up against each other, which is a dangerous game for Alpine to play - especially if it pulls the plug on Doohan quickly.

When viewed from a macro level, a move of that nature could have far more nefarious and wider-reaching ramifications for F1 and young drivers ascending to the series, of which there are six for this coming season, including the Australian.

It could prove to be a watershed moment, opening the floodgates and irreversibly altering how F1 handles rookies, making stepping up to the so-called pinnacle of motorsport even more difficult - and having staying power even more rare.

Quick, brutal changes risk turning already cutthroat conditions into a near-untenable environment for those drivers, changing the very nature of the relationship between them and their teams.

This, in turn, may stymie development of young drivers who have graduated to F1, paradoxically producing a self-perpetuating revolving door of cast-aside talent.

Although Alpine should not, and will not, be blamed for the downstream affects of any driver moves it choses to make on F1 at large, it will nevertheless set a dangerous precedent.

Young drivers need a chance to prove themselves and regardless of where early performance may or may not be, someone of Doohan's calibre has earned the right to be given time, just as Sargeant was.

No matter which way you cut it, the rumoured grace period of five or six rounds is simply not enough.

Removing a driver from a race seat after such a short length of time is not merely straight from the Red Bull playbook, its straight up Machiavellian - and bad for F1.

Do you believe Alpine will replace Doohan with Colapinto, and if so, when? Let us know by leaving a comment or by voting below in the latest poll by RacingNews365.