Alpine promotes Piastri to F1 race seat from 2023!

Alpine has predictably promoted F1 reserve driver Oscar Piastri to a race seat alongside Esteban Ocon from the 2023 season.

Following the unexpected news that Fernando Alonso will be leaving Alpine at the end of the current campaign and join Aston Martin F1, speculation over who would replace the Spaniard kicked into overdrive.

From a return of McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo to Enstone - with Piastri taking his spot at Woking - to the possibility that IndyCar's Colton Herta could be Alpine's chosen one, the conjecture among the pundits was as fast and furious as it was outlandish.

But at the end of the day, Alpine has opted for the most logical and reasonable option, given not only Piastri's outstanding credentials in the junior categories but also given the fact that the French manufacturer has already invested heavily in the highly-rated Australian charger who joined the Alpine Academy in 2019.

"Oscar is a bright and rare talent," commented Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer.

"We are proud to have nurtured and supported him through the difficult pathways of the junior formulae.

"Through our collaboration over the past four years, we have seen him develop and mature into a driver who is more than capable of taking the step up to Formula 1.

"As our reserve driver he has been exposed to the team at the track, factory and testing where he has shown the maturity, promise and speed to ensure his promotion to our second seat alongside Esteban.

"Together, we believe the duo will give us the continuity we need to achieve our long-term goal of challenging for wins and championships."

Oddly, Alpine's release did not include a quote from Piastri himself, which has led to another round of speculation regarding his contractual situation with Alpine which some say is not as cut and dried as it would appear to be.

• Read also: Alpine learned of Alonso exit through Aston press release

Piastri put himself on Alpine's radar after winning the Formula Renault Eurocup Championship in 2019.

But the young gun followed that up with a successful run to the title in the FIA Formula 3 Championship a year later before adding the FIA Formula 2 Championship to his remarkable track record.

Back-to-back titles in three championships was unprecedented while Piastri became only the third driver to secure consecutive titles in F3 and in F2, an feat achievement only by Charles Leclerc and George Russell.

Pistari's reserve status with Alpine this year is supported by an extensive and comprehensive F1 test programme that will help the Aussie gear up for his promotion to the big time in 2023.

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