Australian driver Jack Doohan of Alpine. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The second driver change of the Formula One season may be about to happen with Alpine Racing mulling over the future of Australian Jack Doohan.
ESPN is reporting that Alpine is considering replacing Doohan with Franco Colapinto for the next race at Imola this weekend.
Colapinto, 21, signed with Alpine as a reserve driver in January. The Argentine's name routinely has been considered as a replacement for Doohan, who has struggled in six races during his rookie season.
Per the report, Horacio Marin, CEO of the Argentina energy company YPF, was caught off-microphone in a recent interview saying Colapinto would be in the car for the May 18 race in Italy.
Speculation has been rampant given Doohan's poor start, including a first-lap crash at the Australian Grand Prix on March 16 and four penalty points at the Chinese Grand Prix a week later.
The 22-year-old Australian also crashed in the second free practice session ahead of the April 6 Japanese Grand Prix.
Racing Bulls New Zealand driver Liam Lawson and Alpine's Australian driver Jack Doohan. Photo: AFP
Doohan, however, kept his spirits up after an opening-lap incident with New Zealand's Liam Lawson at the Miami Grand Prix on Monday.
"As we all know, nothing would be intentional," Doohan said. "Unfortunately, he got squeezed there. I don't know, maybe he had a car on his outside. We just have to look into it because it didn't end well for me and I don't think it helped him out as well.
"We've just got to keep our heads up. Looking forward to Imola now."
Colapinto raced nine times for Williams last year as replacement for dropped American Logan Sargeant and scored five points, with a best finish of eighth in Azerbaijan.
Alpine's executive advisor Flavio Briatore, a team boss of the team in its former guises of Benetton and Renault, is a fan and known to be keen to get him into the race seat.
Alpine are ninth of the 10 teams in the constructors' standings.
Lawson was dropped from Red Bull after the second race of the season in Shanghai and he and Yuki Tsunoda of Racing Bulls swapped seats.
-Reuters
