F1 rookies defend dropped Doohan after 'unfair' treatment

Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar defended their fellow Formula One rookie Jack Doohan on Thursday after Alpine's decision to drop the Australian after six of the season's 24 races.

Doohan, who failed to score a point, has been replaced for at least the next five races by Argentinian Franco Colapinto, who had been tipped for the seat since his arrival as reserve in January after a nine race stint with Williams last year.

Haas driver Bearman, who scored on his stand-in debut with Ferrari last year, said Doohan, 22, had to deal with extra pressure hanging over him from the start.

“I can only imagine it's a horrible situation and I feel his treatment was unfair,” he told reporters at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

“We've gone to four out of six tracks that have been new to us as rookies. We've had two sprint events which are more difficult for us as rookies,” added Bearman, of races with limited practise time available.

“Before he gets to the European season where there are the tracks he knows, he's thrown out of the car. Incredibly harsh. Imagine.”

Doohan, son of motorcycle great Mick, remains on the Alpine driver roster and will spend time in the simulator while Colapinto gets to grips with the car.

Racing Bulls' Hadjar, whose teammate Liam Lawson was promoted to the main Red Bull team and then demoted after two races this year, agreed Doohan had been up against it from the start.

“Even before the season it smelt a bit bad, because I think he entered the season with a lot of pressure, expectations,” said the Frenchman. “So not a good environment. It feels unfair, because six races in he didn't have much time to show anything and it's not that he had a rocket ship. A bit harsh.

“I didn't have a gun to my head before starting the season, so that was helpful.

“I can understand when you're Red Bull, you want to fight for the world championship, so this makes sense maybe in the top team. But otherwise if you want your rookie to have experience, then you need to give him races. Otherwise he can't race.”

Lawson agreed Doohan deserved more of a chance.

“It's cut-throat,” he said of the environment. “In his first season I think he did enough even before F1 to be in Formula One. He deserves to come back. There's 20 seats, it's tough.”