Ralf Schumacher is finding it hard to accept that Alpine has signed test and reserve driver Jack Doohan for 2025. The young Australian will be taking over from Esteban Ocon, forming a duo with Pierre Gasly. Schumacher is, of course, somewhat biased; his nephew, former Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher, was also vying for the seat.
After Jack Doohan was secured for 2025, Franco Colapinto made his debut with the Williams Formula 1 team. The young Argentine made an impression and immediately piqued the interest of Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore. Allegedly, there have been behind-the-scenes discussions about dissolving Doohan’s contract in favor of Colapinto. According to Ralf Schumacher, if Briatore had had more time, he might have brought a different driver to Alpine.
“In Formula 1, you don’t have much time,” Schumacher told the German branch of Sky Sports. “But there are plenty of young drivers making their debut. I’m curious, at least; there will be plenty of changes, including at Alpine.” The German analyst was critical of Doohan, who he believes is not the best choice for the team. “I still can’t believe they’ve signed Jack Doohan,” he sighed. “I think Briatore had very different plans.
Mick Schumacher’s Journey
Of course, Schumacher is not entirely objective. After all, Jack Doohan was his competitor leading up to his debut. The youngest member of the Schumacher family made the switch to the WEC team of Alpine in 2023 and subsequently worked on a comeback through the Formula 1 team. During a so-called shoot-out at Circuit Paul Ricard, he found himself directly up against Doohan. Ralf Schumacher expressed regret about the course of this test day at Alpine.
“Mick drove in the afternoon and Jack Doohan in the morning,” he revealed. “I was there myself, and I know that you are naturally two and a half seconds faster in the morning. In the afternoon, it was 38 degrees and there was a strong wind. If this is the way you approach such a test, you might question how seriously Alpine took it,” Schumacher critically stated. “It’s a shame, because this was simply not fair. You could say that the team is completely lost at the moment. People are being fired, rehired, and so on. And Briatore is just hovering above it all.”
