Alpine boss expects Alonso and Piastri to be on 2023 F1 grid

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi is confident that incumbent Fernando Alonso and reserve driver Oscar Piastri will both be racing in F1 next year, although not in the same team.

Esteban Ocon is committed to the Enstone squad until the end of 2024, but Alonso's contract with Alpine runs out at the end of this year.

However, both team and driver have expressed a desire to extend their collaboration, but a status quo would inevitably leave the highly-rated Piastri as the off man out in 2023.

• Read also: Alonso wants Alpine to make timely switch to 2023 car

But talks have reportedly been initiated between Alpine and Williams for the French outfit to loan its talented protégé to the Grove-based squad where Nicholas Latifi isn't expected to retain his seat with the team.

"I’d be open to loan Oscar out to a team as long as I get him back," commented Rossi in Saturday's team principal's presser at Paul Ricard.

"We invested heavily in Oscar, we believe in him, that’s why he’s our reserve driver. He’s a very promising talent.

"So a loan like any other driver starting in another team to learn the tricks and then coming back to us would be a good scenario."

Looking towards 2023, Williams boss Jost Capito said that he would have his team's best interests at heart when deciding its driver line-up.

"I think we’ve got various options and it’s the options we are thinking about as well," said Capito.

"And we will go for what we believe is the best for the team. But it’s too early to get into details because we are not there yet."

Queried on Piastri's prospects with Williams in the context of a loan, Capito said: "I think if that was the best for us that we would consider that.

"If it’s not, that we would have another better solution, we would go for the better solution."

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