F1 team’s IMMEDIATE driver replacement set to terminate 2025 contract debate

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

GPFans Opinion

F1 team’s IMMEDIATE driver replacement set to terminate 2025 contract debate

An announcement at the Qatar Grand Prix could mean more than Alpine have let on

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 3 December 2024 18:56

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Controversial decisions made at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix last weekend had quite a few devastating knock-on effects for many drivers throughout the race, and an FIA penalty now means the constructors' championship will go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi next time out.

McLaren and Ferrari will have to battle it out to take home the title at the season finale next weekend, with just 21 points separating the two teams, with Red Bull now out of the fight.

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Another development in the standings occurred lower down the order, with P6 reclaimed once again by Alpine having swapped back and forth between the Enstone-based outfit and Haas, who have now dropped back down to seventh in the standings.

There are now just five points between the two constructors, with one race remaining in the 2024 season, with a $50 million windfall reportedly on the line for Alpine should they secure P6 in the championship come the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi.

Despite having a major financial boost on the line, however, Alpine have confirmed that a bombshell driver replacement will be made immediately, with Esteban Ocon dropped from their ranks with just one race still to go this season.

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly secured a double podium for Alpine in Brazil

Alpine have announced Esteban Ocon will not race for them in the final race of the 2024 season

Is there more than meets the eye over Alpine's early driver swap?

Despite having confirmed Ocon's replacement for 2025, rumours have been rife lately over Alpine's reported interest in acquiring the talent of Williams star Franco Colapinto, who joined the grid unexpectedly after Williams sacked Logan Sargeant back in August.

Colapinto got off to an impressive start after his mid-season promotion up to F1, abandoning his place on the F2 grid to pursue a rare opportunity in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Over recent races, however, the young Argentine racer has suffered some bad luck, not finishing in Qatar (through no fault of his own), crashing out of qualifying in Vegas, and failing to finish in Brazil after a spin in the wet, costing the team heavily in repairs.

His sheer talent is clear for all to see, however, and with the 21-year-old eager to secure a full-time opportunity in F1 for 2025, a reshuffle of the grid could still be on the cards.

Prior to the Brazilian GP, Franco Colapinto had impressed fans and team principals with his clear talent

Despite recent reports that following his recent streak of mishaps and collisions on-track Alpine and Red Bull were no longer interested in acquiring his talents, Alpine never officially chose to comment on the rumours and therefore haven't ruled out an interest in Colapinto in the future.

Whilst the team declared that Ocon was replaced by Doohan for the Abu Dhabi GP to allow their departing driver to take part in the post-season test for his new team, this hasn't proved an issue for others on the grid in the same situation.

Carlos Sainz will depart Ferrari for Williams once the chequered flag is waved next weekend, yet the Scuderia have still allowed him to race in the season finale.

Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore reportedly showed interest in signing Franco Colapinto

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So, are Alpine being petty with Ocon, or is there more at play here?

Yes it may seem a strange call to drop Ocon with just one race to go, especially given what is at stake for the team fighting for P6, however, perhaps they want to test out Doohan's potential by throwing him straight in at the deep end, potentially cementing the team's faith in him should he contribute vital points to the team's championship efforts when it matters.

Alternatively, perhaps Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore wants to grasp the opportunity to directly compare Doohan and Colapinto, with Abu Dhabi looking like the only time the team will be able to assess both young talents whilst the pair take to the track simultaneously.

Would sacking a driver they have signed for the 2025 season before it even begins be harsh? Yes. But is it impossible? Certainly not.

Colapinto proved an instant hit with F1 fans, pundits and most importantly, sponsors, and regardless of whether Doohan manages to assist the team with securing P6 and earning that crucial bonus, the financial benefits that Colapinto could bring if handed a seat must look pretty tempting to Alpine.

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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