Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has dismissed claims Jack Doohan will be replaced in their line-up before the next round of the championship.
Doohan’s future became the subject of renewed speculation after a sponsor of Franco Colapinto indicated he will debut for the team “in Imola”, the scene of the next race after Miami.
Oakes said the team has no intention at present to replace either Doohan or his team mate Pierre Gasly.
“As it is today, Jack is our driver along with Pierre,” he said in today’s FIA press conference in Miami. “I think we’ve been pretty clear on that.
“I mean, we always evaluate it, but today that is the case.”
Colapinto was unexpectedly promoted to a Formula 1 seat at Williams last year after the team sacked Logan Sargeant at mid-season. He impressed over the course of his first nine grands prix, scoring five points.
Argentina’s first F1 driver in 23 years was linked to a race seat at Alpine even before he joined the team as a reserve driver earlier this year. Oakes, who said he was aware of the remarks made by Colapinto’s sponsor, acknowledged there is considerable public interest in the possibility he will race for the team.
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“I saw it, like everyone else. I think it was a sponsor from Argentina, off-camera, giving his view on Franco and when he’s going to be in the car,” he said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of people in Argentina who’d like him in the car this Sunday.
“I think we’ve been pretty open as a team that that’s just noise out there and Jack needs to continue doing a good job. But I think obviously it’s natural that there’s always that speculation there.”
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