Jack Doohan claims Flavio Briatore 'decided his fate' before final F1 race

Flavio Briatore, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

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Jack Doohan claims Flavio Briatore 'decided his fate' before final F1 race

Jack Doohan's time at Alpine was cut short by Flavio Briatore

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 5 March 2026 12:14

F1 star Jack Doohan has admitted to being 'on borrowed time' under the watchful eye of ruthless team boss, Flavio Briatore

There may be another team on the grid in 2026 in the form of Cadillac, but there are still only 22 spaces on offer to become a full-time driver in the pinnacle of motorsport, making it a fiercely competitive environment to excel in.

Time and time again the sport has chewed up drivers and spat any of them out who were perhaps not ready to make the jump up to F1, or who were simply never awarded enough time to get to grips with its demands.

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One such driver who knows exactly how challenging the sport can be is Jack Doohan, who was only given seven rounds to prove himself in a full-time seat at Alpine.

The Enstone-based squad's executive advisor carried out a hasty driver swap for the 2024 season finale, handing ex-alpine driver Esteban Ocon an early move to Haas, with Doohan being brought in to replace him.

The Australian racer then continued in the seat alongside Pierre Gasly for the 2025 championship, but was only given six rounds to show what he was made of before Briatore sacked him and promoted reserve driver Franco Colapinto.

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Doohan: I should have had time

Alpine's controversial advisor and acting team boss Briatore recently told Netflix cameras that he 'still enjoys' firing people who are underperforming in the latest instalment of Drive to Survive.

But Doohan also got to paint an accurate picture of the brutal reality of his fleeting time at Alpine in season eight of the hit F1 docuseries, revealing he had even received death threats before being swapped out for Colapinto after the 2025 Miami Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old has now found a new home with Haas as a reserve driver, coincidentally the same team that Ocon now drives for, with the American squad handing both former Alpine drivers a fresh start.

Ahead of his first season with Alpine rivals Haas, Doohan opened up to F1.com about the difficult circumstances surrounding his rookie season, admitting 'there was already some chat going on' about his early exit way before he was officially dropped.

"At the end of 2024 there was already some chat going on, which puts a little bit of an eerie feeling and strangeness in the air, and that followed through the winter into 2025, which didn’t help the environment," Doohan said, revealing that his full-time seat was sitting atop of rocky foundations right from the very beginning.

"Time, unfortunately… I should have had, and thought I was going to have, plenty of time in the car, but it was very, very clear that Miami was going to be my final race, so my fate was sort of decided. I was always on borrowed time, I guess, and it’s difficult to maximise things when you know what’s to come.

“To be honest, it was a big shame, but I’m trying to put that behind me, to start fresh, and it would obviously be a dream to be able to have the opportunity [to race in F1] again, in an environment that is much more… I think it should always be ruthless, but more welcoming and on an even playing field.”

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F1 Alpine Jack Doohan Flavio Briatore