Oscar Piastri at Alpine in 2023!

While we thought thatAlpine was going to lose his protégé, leaving for McLaren, the French team announced on Tuesday the promotion ofOscar piastri as a starting driver for 2023. He will therefore ride alongsideEsteban Ocon from next season, for its first year in Formula 1.

Member of the academy Alpine (Ex-Renault) since 2020, the young 21-year-old Australian has won the championships of Formula 3 and Formula 2 from its first seasons. Due to the lack of a seat available in 2022, he was placed with Alpine as a reserve pilot. After the announcement of Fernando Alonso's departure from Aston Martin for 2023, Oscar Piastri seemed the natural candidate to replace the Spaniard.

But according to our information, a pre-contract had been signed with the McLaren team secretly. Moreover, in the press release, no trace of a statement from Oscar Piastri. Alpine did not, however, forget to specify the contractual obligations of his young protégé. “In line with the team's commitments to the Australian, Oscar will be promoted to racing driver and will take the wheel of Fernando Alonso from next year. » 

https://twitter.com/AlpineF1Team/status/1554500248432680960

“Piastri is a brilliant and rare talent” according to Szafnauer

Otmar Szafnauer, main team director Alpine, said : “Oscar [Piastri] is a brilliant and rare talent. We are proud to have nurtured and supported him throughout his journey in extremely high promotion formulas. Through our collaboration over the past four years, we have seen him develop into a driver more than ready to move up to Formula 1. In his role as a reserve, he has worked alongside the team on the track, at the factory and in trials, where he showed the maturity, promise and speed necessary to ensure his promotion to our second seat alongside Esteban. Together, we believe this duo will provide us with the continuity we need to achieve our long-term goal of fighting for wins and titles. »

Since the beginning of the year, Oscar Piastri has been following an intensive and comprehensive training program in private testing under the direction of the team. These tests were carried out with the car from last year, the A521. The Australian is also often present on the circuits and takes part in simulator sessions at enstone. He should therefore make his debut in F1 next year with the French team.

ALSO READ > Oscar Piastri, the child in a hurry