Apr.30 (GMM) Miami this weekend may very well be Jack Doohan’s final race for now on the wheel of an Alpine.
Intense hypothesis about his future has been swirling all season thus far, with workforce advisor Flavio Briatore’s apparent favorite Franco Colapinto – on mortgage from Williams – poised to step into the cockpit.
The depth of the rumours, nonetheless, has really eased over the previous few weeks. Group boss Oliver Oakes appeared eager to cut back the strain on Doohan’s shoulders, however there have been additionally rumblings about Alpine eager to squeeze more cash out of Colapinto’s sponsors.
The logos of Argentine e-commerce firm Mercado Libre are already on the Alpine livery, however one other main Colapinto backer – the Argentine oil big YPF – continues to be lacking.
Some suppose that is due to a conflict with an present – and new – Alpine sponsor ENI, an Italian oil firm.
Nevertheless, YPF president Horacio Marin gave an interview to Argentine broadcaster A24 this week and he was requested immediately if Colapinto goes to race for Alpine in 2025.
“I can’t inform you that,” Marin replied, laughing.
The interviewer then pressed tougher, asking: “When will he debut? In Miami?”
Once more, the YPF president laughed as he awkwardly defined that he couldn’t say something about it.
However as quickly because the interview was over, and Marin believed his microphone was not broadcasting as a result of music and an end-screen have been on the monitor, he was heard to mutter to his interviewer: “In Imola.”