Franco Colapinto’s manager has condemned the “abuse” aimed at Jack Doohan as rumours continue to swirl around his role in the Alpine Formula 1 team.
The 21-year-old was signed by the Anglo-French marque as a reserve driver for this season, having been sprung from his previous contract with Williams.
Colapinto had competed in the remaining nine rounds of the previous campaign with the Grove-based squad, scoring five points.
Alpine had already promoted Jack Doohan to its race roster alongside Pierre Gasly, but since his signing, Colapinto has been the subject of speculation that he will replace the Australian early in the upcoming campaign.
Both Team Principal Oliver Oakes and Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore have been coy on the subject, fuelling the rumours further, with the former telling Le Parisien he will “change” a driver who “isn’t bringing me results”.
Many fans are now taking to social media to direct frustration and anger at the situation, which prompted Jamie Campbell-Walter – a director of Bullet Sports Management, Colapinto’s representatives – to wade in.
Responding to a post on X urging people to ‘stop posting nonsense on Alpine’s account,’ Campbell-Walter replied: “Well said!
“The haters who think they help Franco, you are doing him more harm than good.
“Insults to the team, to Jack and sometimes to other supporters of Alpine.
“Franco and all of us who support him are fans of the whole team, Pierre [Gasly] and Jack.
“Conduct yourselves with passion but not abuse and arrogance. Franco’s time will come but not like this, you will achieve the opposite.”
Former Haas boss-turned-media figure Guenther Steiner has offered his opinion on the situation, affirming that the topic has been somewhat over-embroidered.
“I think the pressure comes from outside,” Steiner told Speedcafe.
“A lot of these things which are happening in F1 is like someone said, ‘Oh, he has got only six races, and then it will be decided’.
“Somebody said it, somebody repeated it, and it got bigger and bigger.
“I don’t even know if it’s true because nobody knows where it came from.
“So, for me, it’s an exaggerated rumour.”
Steiner went on to say that Doohan will not be the only driver on the grid under pressure and that his father – legendary motorcycle racer Mick – will be an important presence in ensuring he can handle the expectations.
“Obviously, in F1, it’s not only him under pressure; everyone needs to perform,” Steiner reasoned.
“If he performs, he will be fine, there will be no problem.
“He has got his father, Mick, the legend, around, so he will help him to go through this pressure he has got on.
“When you are a race car driver, you have always got pressure.
“I just don’t see where it came from,” he added of the speculation.
“It wasn’t an official statement, so if there’s no official statement, I always assume that somebody opened his mouth not knowing what he’s saying, just wanting a headline.
“Jack needs to stay calm, do what he’d good at, race cars, and then the performance will come, and he will be here to stay.
“I may have simplified it a little bit, but that’s what it is about.”
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