Franco Colapinto to replace Jack Doohan for next five F1 races

Argentine driver Franco Alejandro Colapinto will replace Jack Doohan for the next five Formula One races, starting with the upcoming Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

The Renault-owned Alpine team announced on Wednesday that it has decided to "rotate" the race seat alongside Pierre Gasly.

Doohan, the son of Australian MotoGP legend Mick Doohan, has struggled this season, failing to score a single point in six races.

“We have come to the decision to put Franco in the car alongside Pierre (Gasly) for the next five races,” said executive advisor Flavio Briatore, who is set to take over as team principal following the resignation of Otmar Szafnauer.

“We continue to support Jack within the team, as he has conducted himself professionally in his role as a race driver this season. The next five races will give us an opportunity to try something different, and after this period, we will evaluate our options.”

Colapinto has shown promise in his F1 outings. He secured an eighth-place finish in Baku, narrowly missed out on points with an 11th-place finish in Singapore, and came home 10th in the United States Grand Prix.

His strong performances and growing fan base have positioned him as one of the sport’s rising stars.

Alpine signed Colapinto from Williams as a reserve driver before the start of the current season.

He made nine race appearances for Williams last year as a substitute for American driver Logan Sargeant, earning five points, with a best finish of eighth in Azerbaijan.