Doohan is poised to join the team as a race driver alongside Pierre Gasly next season.

However, his debut could be accelerated with suggestions the Australian will replace the Haas-bound Esteban Ocon in Yas Marina.

Speaking following his opening lap retirement in Qatar, Ocon suggested that it was his final race with Alpine.

“I would like to thank the team for, you know, their hard work over this race and their hard work over the whole year,” he said.

“When it’s going well, it’s good, you know, to stick together. But when it’s not going so well, the engineers and the mechanics stick together, and that’s the most important thing.

He then added: “Important to look ahead and see what we can prepare for the future.”

When approached by Speedcafe for confirmation that Doohan would race the car in Abu Dhabi, an Alpine spokesperson stated simply that the team did not have an official comment.

Doohan has been reserve driver for Alpine for the past two seasons, taking on the role from Oscar Piastri, with his contribution highly valued by the squad.

He’s completed a host of tests in both contemporary and older-spec machinery following a solid career in the junior formulae that saw him a race winner in both Formula 2 and Formula 3.

Ocon, meanwhile, is set to leave the team been with for the past five years.

He won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix and was second in Sao Paulo last month as part of a sensational double-podium finish for the squad.

The 28-year-old Ocon will join Oliver Bearman at the American-registered operation next season.