Overview
- Speaking in Melbourne, Doohan said Alpine’s call to replace him was made before he first drove the 2025 car, leaving him feeling “on borrowed time.”
- He started seven grands prix for Alpine — Abu Dhabi 2024 plus six early-2025 rounds — before being dropped after the Miami Grand Prix for reserve Franco Colapinto.
- Doohan described the episode as “twisted and dark,” arguing that internal factors beyond pure performance drove the outcome.
- He recounted heavy online abuse and even death threats during the saga, an experience later reflected in Drive to Survive coverage.
- PerthNow reports Colapinto’s signing brought sponsorship that may have influenced Alpine’s choice, and Doohan says he is now seeking race mileage alongside his Haas reserve role.