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<\/p>\nAlpine has announced it has released Jack Doohan ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.<\/p>\n
The Australian was originally handed a race contract by the French manufacturer last season to drive alongside Pierre Gasly, though he was replaced by Franco Colapinto after just six races of the campaign.<\/p>\n
It was a tumultuous period for Doohan, son of former motorcycle world champion Mick, who saw his seat come under pressure before a wheel had been turned when Argentine Colapinto was signed up as a reserve from Williams in the winter before the 2025 season.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
BWT Alpine F1 Team<\/p>\n
Mutual agreement<\/p>\n
Crashes at his home race in Melbourne – albeit in treacherous conditions – and then in practice for Suzuka, where he tried to take the first corner flat out with DRS still activated, sealed his fate as he was replaced before the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
Doohan did remain with the team based in Enstone, England, in his previous role as a reserve driver, but has now “reached a mutual agreement” with Alpine to “not continue his driving services with the team for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 world championship season and allow him to pursue other career opportunities”.<\/p>\n
A statement from the team added: “Jack became the first member of the Alpine Academy to graduate into a race seat with the team when he made his Grand Prix debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
“The team would like to thank Jack for his commitment and professionalism to the team for the past four years, both on and off track, and wishes him all the best for the future.”<\/p>\n
Gasly and Colapinto remain as Alpine’s main drivers for the new season, which ushers in new technical regulations for the teams to get to grips with. The squad will be hoping for continuity after a decade of turmoil and high managerial turnover.<\/p>\n
Oliver Oakes was the latest in a long list of team principals to leave midway through last season, with Flavio Briatore now spearheading the outfit alongside managing director Steve Nielsen.<\/p>\n
Estonian Paul Aron fills the reserve driver role, having impressed in FP1 rookie runs last term, where he was also loaned to Sauber [now Audi] for extra time behind the wheel.<\/p>\n
Alpine will get its campaign underway at the first pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya at the end of January, a behind-closed-doors test to allow teams the chance to run with the new cars and engines for the first time following the regulation overhaul.<\/p>\n
The French team will run without in-house power units after the Viry powerplant was controversially shut down in favor of running Mercedes power last year.<\/p>\n
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