Otmar Szafnauer has confirmed that Alpine’s intention on Esteban Ocon’s partner for 2023 will most likely be taken from the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
It may seem like a simple decision, but the truth is that aspiring teams are always looking to get the next star of the future. Alpine has a clear candidate in Oscar Piastri and the fact of having Fernando Alonso in their ranks complicates the decision quite a bit.
The truth is that Esteban Ocon has a contract with Alpine and will continue, with total security, in 2023. But the Spaniard ends his contract this season and, despite the fact that his performance is optimal, the 41 years that his identity card will indicate as of July may become an impediment to its continuity.
“We haven’t thought about that yet, but at Silverstone we’ll probably be talking about it.”
It is the law of life, teams seek stability and, in a growing team with aspirations, that often happens bet on a talented young driver to gain experience for when the time comes to fight for everything.
Thus, facing 2023, Alpine must decide whether to continue with Fernando Alonso, a safe value, or think about the future and give the alternative to Oscar Piastri.
The decision in July
With all this in mind, Otmar Szafnauer has confirmed that Alpine plans to make a decision from July, coinciding with the arrival of the British Grand Prix.
“We haven’t thought about that yet, because it’s a bit early. But at Silverstone we will probably be talking about it.”said the director of the Anglo-French team.
Much has been said about Aston Martin’s interest in Fernando Alonso and the possibility of Alpine loaning Oscar Piastri to another team until the Spaniard retires or a vacancy arises in the other car.
But in recent weeks theorizing has also begun with the possibility that Piastri will replace Nicholas Latifi in Williams this season, since the Canadian is disappointing with his performance. Something that has also been speculated with the figure of Nyck de Vries, who this weekend will be with the British team at the Spanish Grand Prix.
“I haven’t considered it deeply yet,” Szafnauer says of a possible deal with Williams. “I don’t know what’s going on at Williams, but I’ve heard the rumours. In the past, when McLaren came to us and said, ‘Hey, can we use Piastri as a reserve driver?’ We said yes.”
“The reason for this is that, the more time you can spend in the car, the better. So we would have that strategically in mind. But as far as what’s going on at Williams, I don’t know,” Szafnauer concluded.
Source: motorsport.com
/
Photos: Alpine F1 Team