F1 team 'set to REPLACE' new driver signing BEFORE 2025 season

Ollie Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan, Brazil, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 team 'set to REPLACE' new driver signing BEFORE 2025 season

Jack Doohan is due to drive with Alpine in 2025

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 9 November 2024 17:56 Updated: 10:49

A Formula 1 team are considering ditching their new driver signing before the start of the 2025 season, according to reports.

2025 is set to see a plethora of driver changes on the grid, sparked by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton's stunning switch to Ferrari announced earlier this year.

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton told to CANCEL Ferrari contract as Wolff confirms Mercedes release

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That will see 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli make his debut on the grid full-time with Mercedes, while another teen sensation in Ollie Bearman has secured a full-time seat with the Haas team.

20-year-old F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto has recently been confirmed to be driving alongside Nico Hulkenberg at Sauber in 2025, while Alpine have put their faith in young reserve driver Jack Doohan to replace the outgoing Esteban Ocon.

Jack Doohan will replace Esteban Ocon at Alpine

Franco Colapinto has impressed with Williams

Briatore and Alpine to give Colapinto F1 2025 drive?

It is one driver who has not currently got a seat on the 2025 grid who is still causing a plethora of speculation, however.

Franco Colapinto has driven spectacularly well since replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, claiming five points with a clearly struggling outfit.

He has also competed with vastly more experienced team-mate Alex Albon in both qualifying and the races, perhaps leading to some regret from the Grove-based team that they acted so quickly to snap up Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season and beyond.

Flavio Briatore is hoping to restore Alpine to former glories

With a seat with Williams clearly not on the table for at least the next two seasons, Colapinto has been linked with a team switch, with Sauber/Audi and Red Bull reportedly sniffing around the Argentine's availability in the last few weeks.

Now, Gazzetta dello Sport are reporting that Alpine and chief Flavio Briatore are considering axing their new driver signing Doohan, before he has even been given a chance to prove himself, in order to get Colapinto through the door.

Australian Doohan has been patiently waiting for his chance at Alpine, having been their reserve driver since the start of 2023, when he was under consideration to replace the outgoing Fernando Alonso.

Both Doohan and Colapinto are just 21 years of age, but the Argentine was fast-tracked into F1 earlier this year despite only having claimed one F2 race victory, while Doohan has six to his name and a third-place championship finish.

Alpine refused to officially comment on the rumours when approached by GPFans.