Piastri would be 'pretty annoyed' not to be racing in F1 in 2023

Freshly crowned FIA Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri says he would be "pretty annoyed" if he wasn't on the F1 grid in 2023, having "run out of things to prove myself with".

The 20-year-old Aussie secured the F2 title on Saturday in Abu Dhabi with two races to spare after finishing third in this weekend's first sprint race at Yas Marina.

The achievement was a hat-trick of sorts for Piastri who won the Formula Renault Eurocup championship in 2019 and last year's FIA Formula 3 title.

Unfortunately, the Alpine junior was barred from a promotion to F1 with the French outfit for 2022 as both Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso are contracted to the Enstone squad for next season.

Piastri had been cited as a potential candidate for a seat at Alfa Romeo Racing before the Swiss team signed up Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, but Alpine was reportedly reluctant to release its protégé to the Hinwil squad.

Piastri will therefore spend a season on the sidelines but will remain actively involved with Alpine as the team's official test and reserve driver. He will embed with the outfit next year and also conduct simulator work, but the Aussie is determined to step up to the big time in 2023.

"I have certainly done everything in my power to present my case for an F1 race seat," said Piastri, a five-time winner in F2 this season.

"I think I said at the beginning of last year or this year, I thought results could barge my way into an F1 race seat somewhere, clearly that has not worked out.

"Of course, it is a bit disappointing I won’t be making the jump directly and I really, really hope that I’m on the grid in 2023.

"I’d be pretty annoyed - for a PG version of my comments - if I wasn’t on the grid in 2023 because I have run out of things to prove myself with!

"I think next year I have got a very good opportunity with Alpine to transition to the F1 world obviously without the driving," he added.

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"But I will be attending all of the flyaway races and experiencing the hectic calendar of the F1 world and a lot of work in the sim, so I won’t be spending that much time on the couch.

"But it will be a busy year and it is a fantastic opportunity, of course it’s not quite the ultimate goal I wanted for next year.

"Throughout my racing career, I have done well in controlling the things I can control and that is not something I can control.

"I will try my best for Alpine to prove why I should be on the grid and hopefully it leads to a seat."

In winning back-to-back titles in F3 and F2, Piastri emulated the likes of his distinguished predecessors George Russell and Charles Leclerc.

"It’s a massive honour to be in that list with them to have done it in my rookie year," he said.

"I have said previously that, at the beginning of the year, I didn’t expect it so to do F3 and F2 back-to-back and also win Eurocup the year before, I think it has exceeded all my expectations.

"I hope it shows that I’m a pretty handy steerer."

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