La Derecha Diario Formula 1: Finally, Franco Colapinto replaces Doohan at Alpine
The news was confirmed by F1, the French team, and the driver himself, who will take the Australian's place for 5 races, starting in Imola
Franco Colapinto is back in Formula 1. Early Wednesday morning, F1, Alpine, and the driver from Pilar made the news official about the Argentine's return to the top category of motorsport.
"Franco Colapinto will race at least the next five races for Alpine in place of Jack Doohan," posted the official account of the "Maximum," specifying the period set by the team for the Argentine.
From the Anglo-French team, which trusted the native of Pilar for this 2025 season, they also shared the announcement with a "Let's go Franco!" accompanied by the Argentine flag.
Colapinto himself didn't miss the opportunity to share his joy on social media. With a nod to Batman style, he posted an image of car No. 43 over a city, greeting with a "good morning" and celebrating his return.
"The wait was long! HAPPY! we're back," Colapinto wrote on his digital platforms.
The debut of the Pilar native as a main driver will take place at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, at the Imola circuit, during the weekend of May 18. There, the Argentine has already collected two victories in formative categories.
Oakes's resignation and the tense atmosphere in the team
The announcement of Colapinto's return to F1 comes after Oliver Oakes's departure as Alpine's team principal.
"BWT Alpine Formula One Team announces that Oliver Oakes has resigned from his position as team director. The team has accepted his resignation with immediate effect," communicated the French team, marking the end of the internal support Jack Doohan had.
Later, the team added: "As of today, Flavio Briatore will continue as executive advisor and will also cover the roles previously performed by Oliver Oakes".
During the six races already held this season, Oakes was the main defender of Doohan within the team, despite his results not being as expected. When asked about Colapinto, the former Team Principal always maintained a cautious stance, highlighting his role as a test and reserve driver.
Just last weekend at the Miami Grand Prix, Oakes assured Doohan's presence in Imola: "Yes, as things stand today, Jack is our driver, along with Pierre (Gasly). I think we've been quite clear about that. We always evaluate it. But yes, today that's the case," he declared. He didn't speak again after the race.
The outlet The Race revealed that Oakes's departure occurred after Alpine informed Doohan that he wouldn't race in Imola on the upcoming May 18.
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