Last Updated on April 4 2025, 9:34 am

Disaster in blue as Alpine’s nightmare start to 2025 deepens, especially for rookie Jack Doohan, but Gasly remains bullish – The 2025 Formula One season has opened with early turmoil for one of the sport’s most storied teams. Alpine, Renault’s factory team, is in a deep and unexpected crisis after failing to score a single point in the first two rounds.

The French team, carrying the weight of national pride and lofty ambitions, now languishes at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship – below both VCARB and Kick Sauber. And to compound their misery, reserve driver Jack Doohan endured a massive crash during Friday practice at Suzuka, raising further questions about the team’s fortunes and performance trajectory.

Despite this gloomy backdrop, Pierre Gasly is not hitting the panic button just yet. The 29-year-old Frenchman, now in his third full season with Alpine, remains remarkably calm. His confidence stems not only from internal debriefs and technical data, but also from the resilience the team has shown in previous campaigns. While the optics are bleak, Gasly insists that the current crisis is more a reflection of circumstance than outright failure.

 

A disastrous start

The alarm bells started ringing immediately after the opening rounds in Australia and China. Not only were Alpine struggling to find the right pace, but they were also consistently knocked out of Q1 and Q2 qualifying.

Race day offered little respite, with neither Gasly nor team-mate Esteban Ocon able to capitalise on the strategic chaos and retirements around them. While their midfield rivals – namely Haas, VCARB and Kick Sauber – managed to scrape together opportunistic points, Alpine walked away from both events empty-handed.

It was a crushing blow for a team that had entered 2025 with hopes of consolidating itself as a regular top-five force. What made the poor start even more painful was the context: the rest of the grid had made strides in reliability and race pace, leaving Alpine as the only team yet to score points. Even the points-less weekends of the past, often written off as anomalies, now feel like a pattern.

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Gasly’s reaction: blunt but optimistic

But amid the noise and disappointment, Gasly has been a pillar of calm resolve. Speaking to the French media and outlets such as NextGen-Auto, he addressed the situation with clarity.

“Under pressure? Absolutely not,” said Gasly. “We know exactly why we didn’t score those points. Things could have been very different in Melbourne with the last Safety Car. We were in the points for most of the race. In China we were in the mix and there was still performance to be had.”

Rather than blaming the car outright or pointing fingers within the team, Gasly emphasized that racing luck – and not a fundamental lack of competitiveness – has played a major role in the team’s current position. According to him, there is performance in the package.

The problem is extracting it in race conditions and making sure they capitalise on those unpredictable moments.

“We have a better car than last year,” he added. “Other teams have been a little bit luckier than us, but it’s a long season. We saw that last year – we were able to bounce back very strongly. I think we have a better car now and I’m not too worried. Of course, on paper it’s nice to be well placed from the start, but let’s not forget that there are 24 races.”

The reference to 2024 is telling. Last season, Alpine also endured early inconsistencies before rallying in the middle of the season. A series of strong finishes helped salvage what could have been a lost campaign, and Gasly believes the same script can be played out again in 2025.

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Doohan disaster: Rookie dumped in the gravel

Just as Gasly was attempting to restore morale and calm the growing panic in the Alpine garage, Friday’s practice session in Japan delivered another blow. Jack Doohan suffered a terrifying crash in Turn 1 during FP2 at Suzuka.

The young Australian was pushing during a hot lap when disaster struck. His DRS remained open as he approached the intimidating first corner at full speed. With reduced rear downforce, the car became unstable and Doohan lost control almost instantly.

The Alpine spun violently and slammed into the tyre barrier with a force that sent gasps through the paddock.

The impact was significant enough to not only destroy the front of the car but also severely damage the tire wall, prompting a red flag. Track marshals and medical staff rushed to the scene as Doohan slowly climbed out of the cockpit under his own power, a reassuring sign after such a dramatic shunt. However, he was visibly shaken and required assistance to reach the medical car for precautionary checks.

Initial assessments confirmed that Doohan was uninjured, but the crash raised a number of concerns. Not only will the team need to assess the damage to the car and the DRS malfunction, but the incident has also highlighted the fine margins that Alpine is dealing with. The stakes are now higher at every session and even the practice sessions are under the microscope.

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Doohan crash may have been the final straw

Pressure continues to mount on Jack Doohan, not only from within the garage but also from high up in the Alpine hierarchy.

Team advisor Flavio Briatore, recently re-appointed in a senior strategic role, has made no secret of his preference for Argentinean driver Franco Colapinto. The outspoken Italian is believed to be pushing for Colapinto to be given a chance in F1, particularly if any of the current Alpine riders fail to live up to expectations.

While Doohan was once seen as the natural successor to Esteban Ocon or Pierre Gasly, his standing within the team appears to be slipping. Briatore’s influence within the team has grown, and his support for Colapinto – combined with his blunt management style – has cast a long shadow over Doohan’s path to a full-time seat.

 

Palmer: Doohan crash ‘avoidable’

Adding to the scrutiny, F1 analyst and former Renault driver Jolyon Palmer weighed in critically on Doohan’s crash during FP2 at Suzuka. Palmer suggested that the accident was avoidable, pointing out that Doohan’s failure to take his foot off the accelerator or brake as he approached Turn 1 with the DRS wide open was a clear error of judgement. 

While Doohan walked away physically unscathed, the same can’t be said for his standing in the paddock. The crash has opened up uncomfortable questions about his race-readiness, his decision-making and whether he’s done enough to stave off a rising tide of competition for a coveted seat in F1.

 

 

A deeper malaise?

While Gasly remains publicly supportive of the team and optimistic about their chances, the same cannot necessarily be said for those observing Alpine from the outside. The technical department, having undergone restructuring in recent years, has faced scrutiny over the car’s development direction.

While the 2025 challenger has improved in certain areas, such as low-speed stability, it still appears to be off the pace on high-speed circuits and in terms of long-term consistency.

Furthermore, the internal leadership has been under pressure since the departure of key figures such as Otmar Szafnauer in previous seasons. The chain of command within the Enstone operation appears unsettled, and the lack of clarity in technical leadership may be contributing to the on-track problems. The question of whether the team has a coherent vision for success – both technically and operationally – is being asked more and more with each pointless weekend.

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What comes next?

All eyes now turn to the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Known for its flowing corners and technical challenges, the track is a true test of aerodynamic efficiency and chassis balance – areas where Alpine has struggled in the past. However, the team also believe that the characteristics of Suzuka might suit their car more than the stop-start layouts of Melbourne or Shanghai.

Gasly will be hoping to break the points drought on Sunday and turn the tide before the season slips further out of reach. For teammate Esteban Ocon, whose own future with the team remains the subject of speculation, it will be a crucial race to reassert his value and help steady the ship.

The reality is clear: Alpine cannot afford another weekend of zero points. Even a single point would represent progress and give the team something to build on. But if the nightmare in Japan continues, the internal pressure will only grow – and no amount of calming statements will be enough to shield the team from the consequences of a failed start to the year.

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