McLaren expects Alpine F1 Team to retain reserve driver Oscar Piastri until the end of the 2022 F1 season.
Oscar Piastri has been confirmed to be McLaren’s F1 driver in 2023. Alpine F1 Team had claimed Piastri was under contract to race in 2023, but the Contract Recognition Board ruled in favor of McLaren.
Following the loss, Alpine F1 Team said it would review its existing relationship with Oscar Piastri, potentially opening the door for an early McLaren join.
Since then, however, Oscar Piastri has continued to work with the Alpine F1 team on the simulator throughout the race weekend, and McLaren expects he won’t be able to work until the end of the season.
The Alpine F1 team has announced that it has signed Pierre Gasly as an F1 driver for 2023. Asked if that would help McLaren secure an early release for Oscar Piastri, team principal Andreas Seidl said: “I don’t think it will change much.”
“As far as I understand, they still plan to continue with the Oscars until the end of the season.”
“So really no news.”
Had McLaren been available at Oscar Piastri before the end of the season, he would have been eligible to meet the young driver requirements for the two FP1 sessions this year.
However, McLaren has confirmed that 2021 IndyCar champion Alex Palou and Arrow McLaren SP driver Patricio O’Ward will run sessions in Austin and Abu Dhabi respectively.
The Alpine F1 team has yet to finalize its plans for its rookie FP1 run, but needs to complete the requirements in the final four races.
The Alpine F1 team had planned to give Oscar Piastri a session at the F1 French Grand Prix in mid-July, but team principal Otmar Szafnauer said Piastri will join one of the four remaining events at Suzuka. “I don’t know,” he said.
An alternative option for the Alpine F1 team was F2 driver Jack Doohan, who was in contention for the seat eventually taken by Pierre Gasly following an impressive rookie campaign in the category.
Otmar Szafnauer says the Alpine F1 team will ‘think more seriously’ regarding its plans for young drivers for 2023 now that its race line-up is complete, but Jack Doohan’s priority is next season’s F2 title. Suggested that it is to fight for.
“Jack’s immediate focus is to win the Formula 2 championship next year,” said Otmar Szafnauer.
“We can support him through that process, help him along the way and even give him time in the car to prepare for F1.”
“But now that we’ve done this step (confirmation of Gasly), we’ll look at it.”
Category: F1 / mclaren / Alpine / Oscar Piastri
