Jack Doohan and Franco Colapint’s pressure: “I feel immune”

The Australian spoke in the pre -gp of Miami, sixth date of the season, and made clear his feelings for the noise that was generated with the Argentine in Alpine.

Jack Doohan had to face several challenges in his debut season in Formula 1. As if it were not enough to face the challenges, he owns one of the 20 seats that has the most important category in the world and having to demonstrate with performance that the choice that Alpine made for him was correct, He added the arrival of Franco Colapint as a reserve pilot, an announcement that was made in the first half of January. The Argentine played the last nine careers of the 2024 calendar with Williams, was recruited by Flavio Briatore and put as an substitute for the Team de Estone. Immediately, the noise began, for the deafening moment, about the possible replacement of the Australian by the Buenos Aires. Speculations that were woven, in many cases with unlikely arguments (such as a contract for five races) grew and from the team nobody went out to support Doohan.

The 500cc Pentacampeon Son had to answer questions about collapint at the press conference that was held in the London O2 during the presentation of the F1developed last February 18. Given the insistence on the requisition, Alpine’s press manager had to intervene to cut with the subject. But the runrún was installed. Oliver Oakes, director of the French team, came out in support of Doohan and acknowledged that they had not worked from the entrails of the team to appease rumors. The first five dates of F1 passed, the circus arrived in Miami for the sixth appointment, and the Australian was consulted, during the press day, about the pressure he had to live, when it is still not clear if he will have his armchair until the end of the year or if the Argentine will finally replace him.

“To be honest, the worst was in January, during the preseason, when there was more noise. Nothing else happened. It was the soil. But I think that a new story arose every weekend. In addition, immediately I knew what was irrelevant and what was not true. And I concentrated on my work. To be honest, even in difficult times, I never felt affected ”Doohan said at a press conference.

“I had a good group of people around me. The team also supported me a lot. I never had or felt that in my head. Of course, there will always be noise. But I dedicated myself to being as concentrated as possible in the car, instead of thinking about something external. Possibly, as this topic has been present so long, by the time the season began, it was already immune to him. If I had started a couple of days before Melbourne’s career, maybe I would have affected me more, “he added.

Doohan also spoke of Briatore, the promoter of the arrival of Colapinto to Alpine. “It is someone whom I have admired for a long time. And I love brutality, it does not go with nonsense or evasive. You realize what is happening very quickly. I prefer that before rumors. I was clear about what was happening. And he just wanted me to go well. And he said: ‘Forget about noise, forget what is happening.’ I simply do my best. And things are always there for a reason. Nothing is revealed by mistake. So, I think it’s just about keeping my head down and doing my job, and knowing what is real and what is not. ”