The drivers' market with the latest Alpine announcement fits another fundamental piece in completing the puzzle of the 2023 line ups. A domino effect triggered bysudden goodbye of sebastian vettel, which on the race weekend in Hungary announced the training camp from the top category, after years of indecision and hopes that ended with the realization of a need and an identity that no longer belongs only to racing.
Vettel's retirement opened the doors for Aston Martin to Fernando Alonso, more eager than the German to continue this adventure in Formula 1. So eager to stay to unload Alpine close to the summer break. The Spanish rider left the French team in search of a new adventure, and an environment that could offer him one last chance for redemption. Relations with Alpine were at loggerheads given the team's willingness to offer Fernando an annual, instead of the biennial desired by the Spaniard, to leave a window open to Oscar Piastri, a young talent from the nursery. Aston Martin was almost an obligatory choice for Fernando who with his experience and his full name will give prestige to the team led by Lawrence Stroll.
Per Alpine two names were ready
Fernando's farewell had in turn triggered a chain reaction, with two potential names for replacements: Oscar piastri, or the most logical and sensible choice; is Daniel Ricciardo, if a agreement between McLaren and Piastri for the arrival of the 21-year-old from Melbourne in the Papaya team. This latest scenario took shape today, due to an indiscretion launched by the French media in which there was talk of a Ricciardo – Piastri change between McLaren and Alpine. In the last few hours, however, the confirmation of the French team has arrived, which has officially announced the pair of drivers who will take part in the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship.
Alpine confirms Piastri
The hopes of seeing Piastri in Formula 1, with Fernando firmly in Alpine, had become distant. The only alternative to see him in the top category seemed to be to get a place in the Williams, not exactly an attractive position given the lack of competitiveness of the English team. Fernando's move, who landed in Aston Martin, would have come "by surprise". Otmar Sznafnauer, Team Principal Alpine has in fact declared that he would have learned of Fernando's farewell from the Aston Martin press release. For this reason, Alpine would have speeded up the negotiations to secure the services of the Australian pilot before his gaze turned elsewhere. But in the late afternoon of today the confirmation arrived.
Alpine, with a press release, announced that in 2023 we will see the Ocon – Piastri couple. “Oscar is a brilliant and rare talent” declared a satisfied Otmar Szafnauer. "We are proud to have nurtured and supported him through the difficult paths of junior formulas. Through our collaboration over the past four years, we have seen him develop and mature into a driver more than capable of making the step into Formula 1."
“As reserve driver he was present with the team at the track, in the factory and in testing where he demonstrated the maturity and speed needed to secure promotion alongside Esteban. Together, we believe the duo will give us the continuity we need to achieve our long-term goal of fighting for victories and championships.”
A bright future
The pilot who has been part of the Alpine youth team for 4 years, and who still represents its reserve, has in fact been promoted, and will inherit Fernando Alonso's seat. Piastri, will arrive in F1 with a stellar curriculum, in the footsteps of talents such as Charles Leclerc and George Russell, after winning Formula 3 and Formula 2, the latter in a dominant way in 2021. We will therefore see Piastri's talent, for the first time in Formula 1.
Source statements: Motorsport.com
