Formula 1: Alpine set to reveal Esteban Ocon's replacement

Though Carlos Sainz Jr. was believed to be a serious candidate for Alpine, the announcement that he is set to join Williams pushed them to go in a different direction for the 2025 Formula 1 season.

The announcement ended some of the rumors that have swirled in recent months, but it only started the domino effect for the remaining open seats in 2025.

Esteban Ocon’s departure from Alpine was announced two months ago, and it was largely believed to be due to his collision with teammate Pierre Gasly in Monaco. The Frenchman is set to move to Haas next season, joining rookie Oliver Bearman.

Jack Doohan’s name has been circulating as a potential full-time Formula 1 driver since 2022, when he finished in sixth place in his debut season in Formula 2 with Virtuosi Racing.

Alpine genuinely considered the Australian driver for their lineup for 2023, up until Pierre Gasly was chosen to replace Fernando Alonso instead. At the time, Gasly was said to be under contract with AlphaTauri through 2023, but they allowed him to leave.

The timing is perfect

Now it has been reported that Doohan is set to become Gasly's teammate in 2025, with an announcement expected quite soon.

The timing of the 21-year-old’s entrance into Formula 1 could not be better. Oliver Oakes was just announced as Alpine’s new team principal going forward, meaning that Doohan is set to get an opportunity to work with someone he is quite fond of, dating back to his days in the Formula 3 Asian Championship with Hitech GP.

This is a great opportunity for Doohan, as Oakes has experience with numerous drivers who made it to Formula 1, including George Russell and Nikita Mazepin. The new team boss spent this season working with Paul Aron and Luke Browning, who are doing very well in Formula 2 and Formula 3, respectively.

Additionally, Alpine have been shockingly slow this season, which was quite unexpected after 2023. As they look to rebuild themselves before the 2026 regulations are put into place, bringing in a junior driver who has been around the team for years now is the right move.

Doohan’s recent test in Spa with a previous edition of the car sealed the deal for the Enstone team, as his lap times were well within range of his goal.

With Doohan’s open-wheel racing career finally set to get off the ground, he is looking to prove himself against the other 19 drivers on the grid. The hopes are high for the man poised to become the newest member of a strong rookie class next season.