Jack Doohan’s future with the Alpine team will be “purely down to his performances,” according to multiple-time Formula 1 race winner Johnny Herbert.
The Australian’s time in F1 has been under question even before the campaign began, with the Anglo-French marque signing Franco Colapinto as a reserve driver.
Rumours have continued to swirl that the Argentinian, who scored points in his 2024 stint with Williams, will eventually replace Doohan to partner Pierre Gasly.
However, it now appears that the Enstone-based squad will afford Doohan more time, with speculation initially pointing towards the forthcoming Miami Grand Prix being his last.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport Week, Herbert said that that gulf in performances between Doohan and Gasly not being as large as first predicted is giving the team a lot to consider.
“It’s all down to Jack,” he said. “What the track and what the performance is, and hopefully there aren’t going to be as many mistakes coming into play.
“It’s purely down to his performances. Actually, his performances haven’t been bad, to be perfectly honest. He hasn’t blown away by Pierre at all. Qualifying pace is very similar.
“So it’s probably a little bit of a headache for Flavio [Briatore, Alpine’s Executive Advisor], because I think he wanted it probably to be getting blown away, getting completely destroyed mentally, and then he can quickly do that change.”
Herbert also pointed out that whilst the two men’s qualifying prior to Bahrain hadn’t been hugely different, performing well in the race, which has been a downfall so far, is where it really matters.
“Qualifying, that’s one thing. But as you know, as is in everything else, or when it’s down into the race, so the race is something that he’s got to harness all the energies, the negative energies that may be there, the positive energies that are there, and do the job in a race situation, and that will be his saviour,” he highlighted.
“If it doesn’t happen, then it will be Colopinto, for sure. Because I think Flavio is very aware that other people probably are interested.”
Doohan must contribute to Alpine points haul
Herbert did, however, point out that the hopeful points haul for Alpine in the Constructors’ Championship might prove pivotal in what it eventually decides.
The team finished sixth in the table last year via Gasly and Esteban Ocon’s late-season form, and it will look to maintain its stature in the midfield.
“I know the market’s probably a little bit fixed for the next year or two, or for some of them quite a lot more, if you go McLaren, for example,” he said.
“But you need to try and grab the best drivers that you can at a certain time.
“If you do, going back to Red Bull, and even my time at Benetton, it was always about the Constructors’ Championship as well.
“So you’ve got to have the right drivers there.
“It’s been Max all on his own, effectively, although Sergio [Perez] probably has done, he did do a good job, it just wasn’t good enough for what Red Bull, again, expectations that they have.
“So it’s going to be down to having a driver there that can give them that, give them those results.
“And with Jack, that’s exactly what he’s got to do. If he does that, he doesn’t have to worry.”
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