Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has insisted that the squad is "happy" with Jack Doohan as speculation around his long-term future in Formula 1 persists.
Doohan's place with the Enstone-and-Viry-based outfit was put under pressure even before the season began as Franco Colapinto joined from Williams as a reserve driver.
With the Argentine expected to take a seat on the grid, it is rumoured to be a matter of when and not if Doohan will be moved aside to faciliate Colapinto, though that trigger hasn't been pulled for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
"We know there’s a bit of unrest around Jack’s position, but he’s working well,” Oaked told Sky Germany in Japan.
“So far it’s been ok. He’s staying calm and focusing on himself. There are a lot of rumours about Franco, but at the moment we’re happy.”
"What's best for the team?"
Doohan's first three race weekends have brought mixed fortunes, only adding to the pressure on his shoulders.
A crash in the early stages of his home race was costly for the team, with another heavy shunt in practice for the Japanese Grand Prix proving to be driver error regarding the closing of the DRS into Turn 1.
Warning that his future will be performance-driven, Oakes explained: “You always have to decide what’s best for the team.
“Every driver in Formula 1 has to perform. They know that.”
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