Piastri on Doohan's setback: ‘Be proud and hold your head high’

Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri has voiced his support for fellow Australian Jack Doohan following the Alpine driver’s demotion back to reserve driver after just six races in with the French outfit in 2025.

Doohan, who debuted at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, has been replaced by Franco Colapinto for the next five races, leaving his F1 future uncertain.

Alpine’s new team boss, Flavio Briatore, will reassess options before the British Grand Prix, with Doohan’s return hinging on Colapinto’s performance.

Piastri, who currently leads the world championship by 16 points over McLaren teammate Lando Norris, was asked about Doohan’s situation during an appearance on the Today Show.

“If it is the end of the road for Jack, I think he can be very proud,” Piastri said. “It’s not an easy thing coming from Australia, there’s a lot of hard decisions along the way.”

“If he’s had his final race, then hold your head high, you’ve been an F1 driver and no one can take that away from you.

“I’m sure he’ll have a successful career in whatever happens.”

No Stranger to Alpine Turmoil

Piastri, who now leads the championship by 16 points with McLaren after his third consecutive win of the season, is no stranger to Alpine’s chaos.

In 2022, as part of the Enstone squad’s academy, he faced a contract mishandling that led to a public dispute when Alpine prematurely announced him as Fernando Alonso’s replacement.

The FIA’s Contract Recognition Board ruled in McLaren’s favor, paving the way for Piastri’s move to the Woking-based outfit and exposing the disarray within Alpine’s management.

Doohan Vows to Keep Working

Doohan, meanwhile, issued a composed and forward-looking statement following his demotion.

“We have long-term goals as a team to achieve and I will continue to give my maximum efforts in any way I can to help achieve those,” he said.

“For now, I will keep my head down, keep working hard, watch with interest the next five races and keep chasing my own personal goals.”

Read also:

• Doohan on Alpine demotion: ‘It’s a tough one to take’

Doohan’s contributions to Alpine in 2024, particularly through extensive simulator work and support at races like Monaco, were instrumental in improving the team's fortunes.

Whether that behind-the-scenes impact will be enough to earn him another chance remains to be seen, but for now, Piastri’s message is clear: Doohan has every reason to hold his head high.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook