Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes Franco Colapinto’s presence within the Alpine storage early within the 2025 season will solely amplify the strain and doubt surrounding Jack Doohan.
Doohan is straight away beneath strain to maintain his drive at Alpine following Colapinto’s arrival as a check and reserve driver.
The Australian has only one grand prix begin to his identify, making his debut on the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Nonetheless, even earlier than his debut, hypothesis was rife about Alpine’s curiosity in Colapinto.
Flavio Briatore, who’s Alpine’s govt advisor, has spoken publicly about how extremely he charges Colapinto.
Herbert, who Briatore brutally sacked throughout his personal F1 profession alongside Michael Schumacher at Benetton, thinks Doohan is on “borrowed time already”.
“I feel Jack Doohan will consider he’s on borrowed time already, after I’m talking to individuals, they really feel precisely the identical factor,” Herbert stated.
“Doohan has received to ship, and if he doesn’t ship towards Pierre Gasly, I do know Flavio Briatore very properly, Doohan might be out. He’ll be out as fast as he blinks. So strain’s on his shoulders now for him to carry out.”
Colapinto’s presence will trigger doubts
Doohan might be bombarded by questions on his future from the very begin of pre-season testing.
To make it worse for Doohan, the TV cameras will doubtless reduce to Colapinto and Briatore within the Alpine storage at any time when he has a foul qualifying end result or makes a mistake.
Herbert sees this inflicting additional doubts in Doohan’s head.
“That’s a part of the game, sadly, particularly in System 1, it’s not all the time stuffed with budding roses. It’s an enormous quantity of strain for Doohan, however that’s what the deal is,” Herbert added.
“It’s a must to get within the automobile and it’s a must to carry out. And Gasly is a driver that could be very snug within the crew these days. There’s a whole lot of help for him in that crew, clearly being a Frenchman. However now it’s as much as Doohan.
“He’s received an enormous quantity of strain on his shoulders as a result of Colapinto might be there behind the storage. He’ll be there on TV with him form of over the shoulder of Briatore and wherever it could be. And that’s the place all these little components of doubt begin to come into play. And doubt is one thing you undoubtedly are not looking for.”
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