Defiant Doohan snaps again at Colapinto alternative rumours

Alpine driver Jack Doohan has issued a agency response to questions on his long-term Formulation 1 future after his workforce signed Franco Colapinto as a reserve driver.

Alpine made a transfer for Colapinto to bolster its future choices, with the Argentinian certainly one of three reserve drivers for this 12 months alongside Paul Aron and Ryo Hirakawa.

Colapinto usually impressed on his nine-race stint for Williams final 12 months, and has additionally introduced Argentinian sponsor Mercado Libre with him to the Enstone-based squad.

Having such a confirmed F1 calibre driver able to go has fuelled remous that urged Doohan, who has only one begin to his identify eventually 12 months’s Abu Dhabi season finale, solely has a couple of races to show his value and might be changed at quick discover if he does not ship immediately.

However forward of F1’s seventy fifth anniversary launch at London’s O2 Enviornment, Doohan shrugged off any options Colapinto’s arrival is already placing him underneath extra stress than another debutant.

“No, I have been informed he is a reserve driver,” he mentioned. “And I believe, regardless, you are certainly one of 20 Formulation 1 drivers on the planet. I do know once I was a go-karter, in Formulation 3, Formulation 2 – I’d do something to be in Formulation 1 and sacrifice every thing.

“So, [whether] it is somebody contained in the workforce, exterior the workforce, anybody that is performing properly, you are all the time going to have stress in your shoulders since you’re in such a cut-throat sport.

“However no matter stress there could also be, I sit up for having fun with that, embracing it and simply having fun with my Formulation 1 season.”

Pressed on the subject by one other journalist on whether or not Alpine hiring the 21-year-old Colapinto undermined his place, Doohan snapped again: “Is {that a} query? I used to be a 21-year-old reserve driver [too] final 12 months. With a long-term contract. However no, I do not. Perhaps I ought to? I do not know. I do not actually perceive that as a query, however undoubtedly not.”

Talking to Motorsport.com earlier this 12 months, Alpine workforce boss Oliver Oakes already insisted Doohan would get a “honest probability” to impress on the squad, and Pierre Gasly additionally voiced his assist for his new team-mate.

“I do know Jack is a good individual and an awesome driver; I’ve seen him develop and we have given him his probability,” the Frenchman added.

“I will not remark any additional. As a rookie, it is by no means straightforward to get into F1, and there isn’t any must make issues extra difficult than they should be.”