Jack Doohan is rumored to get replaced at Alpine. [Credits: X/ Alpine Formula 1 Racing]

Jack Doohan Under Pressure at Bahrain- Ralf Schumacher Weighs in on Potential Swap

Is Jack Doohan going to face the Liam Lawson treatment at the Bahrain Grand Prix

Jack Doohan is rumored to get replaced at Alpine. [Credits: X/ Alpine Formula 1 Racing]

Jack Doohan is a part of the six new drivers in the 2025 Formula 1 grid. Alpine started their 2025 season with Doohan as a replacement for Esteban Ocon. Doohan and Pierre Gasly did not have a good start to the season with Alpine. They are the only team on the 2025 grid without any points scoring finishes.

Alpine is constantly brought to defeat by its competitors. Their drivers have no better finish than 11th in any of the first three Formula 1 races. Pierre Gasly made a 11th place finish in Australia. It is the best result yet for the Alpines.

Their rookie driver has been unable to perform well during these three races. He is yet to match Gasly’s pace. Jack Doohan has made only one Q2 appearance, i.e. in Australian GP. Doohan has also caused major crashes for Alpine, leaving them in shambles in all three race weekends.

His performances couple with the recent tensions on the track, have earned him a rebuke from Ralf Schumacher. The former F1 driver has commented gravely about Doohan’s future in Formula 1.

A sizeable crash for Jack Doohan in FP2 😱

He is OK and out of the car#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/uCDCUcGKcy
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 4, 2025

Jack Doohan isn’t “Fast Enough”

Ralf Schumacher has branded Doohan as someone who makes too many mistakes. According to Schumacher he is not enough for Formula 1. Jack Doohan is a rookie driver and as such, his speed and mistakes are warranted. But to Ralf Schumacher, this is just another excuse for being a bad driver.

Schumacher has suggested that Alpine’s new reserve driver, Ryo Hirakawa has become a better replacement for Doohan. Hirakawa’s timings match more closely with Pierre Gasly than Jack Doohan. Speaking to Sky Germany, Ralf Schumacher said-

“He had made a lot of mistakes and isn’t fast enough. Ryo Hirakawa, who got into the car in the first session, was right on par with Pierre Gasly. Doohan got in and made this huge mistake.”

Jack Doohan is “not guaranteed” to race for Alpine at the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix according to Ralf Schumacher 👀

Would you ditch Doohan for Franco Colapinto after just three races? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/mZVp4YwyhT
— Crash.net – Formula 1 (@CRASH_NET_F1) April 7, 2025

Red Bull Racing have already set a dangerous precedent at the Japanese Grand Prix. They swapped out drivers between their teams after their rookie, Liam Lawson did not perform well in the first two races. Alpine also have Franco Colapinto in their roster as a reserve driver.

If at all, Alpine decided to swap out drivers mid-season, it would be a disaster for Jack Doohan’s career. Franco Colapinto has earned much recognition in Formula 1 due to his exploits from last year. Compared to him, Doohan seems like a lost cause. Jack Doohan has a slim chance of keeping his seat if Ralf Schumacher’s words are to be taken seriously.

Do you think this new trend of swappine rookie drivers by the team will cause stagnation in Formula 1? What are you thoughts about this rumored driver swap? Follow us at The Playoffs to know the latest news about Formula 1.

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.