Alpine finally pulls the plug on Doohan: the end of a dream that never took flight

The Alpine Formula 1 team has officially confirmed what many saw coming from miles away—Jack Doohan has parted ways with the Enstone operation ahead of the 2026 season. Announced on Tuesday, the mutual agreement marks the definitive end to an academy dream that spectacularly unraveled during one of the most challenging rookie campaigns in recent memory.

From academy darling to forgotten reserve

Doohan's journey from Alpine's academy corridors to the paddock represented something genuinely special. He became the first member of the Alpine Academy to graduate into a race seat with the team when he made his Grand Prix debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. That achievement symbolized years of development, investment, and belief—a pathway that should have been the blueprint for long-term success.

The subsequent demotion to reserve driver status proved the harshest possible reminder of his predicament. For eight agonizing months, Doohan existed in F1's purgatory—occasionally present at races as back-up for both Gasly and Colapinto, but stripped of meaningful track time, testing opportunities, and any genuine pathway back to the grid. The psychological toll of watching your seat get inhabited by your replacement, both on and off track, cannot be understated.

The Super Formula gamble: a high-risk reset

With his Alpine future sealed shut by Colapinto's contract extension, Doohan has set his sights on Japan's Super Formula championship as a reset button. The Australian tested machinery from Kondo Racing at Suzuka in late 2025, marking a potential pivot toward competitive single-seater racing outside the F1 bubble.

However, even this path has proven rocky. Doohan suffered a bizarre series of crashes through the test at the same Degner corner combination, which limited his mileage. Three separate incidents at the notoriously demanding Suzuka section raised eyebrows about adaptation challenges, though Kondo Racing subsequently defended the young driver.

Despite the testing difficulties, Kondo appears ready to commit, with formal announcements pending. For Doohan, the ideal scenario would see him combine a full-time Super Formula campaign with F1 testing opportunities—potentially at Haas, which operates under the TGR Haas banner in 2026 through its Toyota partnership.

The bigger picture: academy systems under scrutiny

Doohan's departure illuminates uncomfortable questions about Alpine's academy model and F1's willingness to grant young drivers adequate runway to develop. While some academy graduates flourish—Oscar Piastri's trajectory at McLaren proves the system can work—others struggle when thrust into the pinnacle of motorsport too soon or without sufficient preparation. Despite four years of commitment to the team both on and off track, Doohan's case suggests that academy membership guarantees opportunity, not competitiveness.

The mutual agreement terminology in Alpine's statement is the polite language of parting ways. Doohan required a fresh start; Alpine required solutions. His 2026 fate now rests in Japan's racing ecosystem and the possibility that genuine competition outside F1 might restore both his confidence and his market value.