Alpine could loan Piastri for 2023 season

Alpine is open to loaning Oscar Piastri to another Formula 1 team for the 2023 season, as long as a return is part of the deal.

Reigning F2 champion Piastri is embarking on an intensive testing programme with Alpine this year as part of his reserve role with the team. He is completing all of the private test running and taking part in debriefs on race weekends, as well as making at least two FP1 appearances.

It is all part of a push to prepare Piastri for a race seat in 2023, although there may not be a vacant drive at Alpine. Esteban Ocon is in year one of a three-season contract, while Fernando Alonso has indicated that he wishes to keep racing for another couple of years. If Alonso continues to perform well this season and a decision is taken to retain him for 2023, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi said the team is open to a loan deal elsewhere for Piastri, but only if there was a clear path back.

“If it’s a solution that allows me to get him back at some point, I might think about it,” said Rossi. “I’m not opposed to the solution. You understand I want to develop Oscar; I don’t want to leave him sitting on the bench waiting forever. [Looking at a loan has] always been a parameter for all of us. We knew last year that Fernando was performing. And it would be very surprising if suddenly during the winter he lost his magic. So let’s be realistic. It’s part of the scenarios we need to explore.”

Rossi is adamant that the year on the sidelines won’t hamper Piastri’s rapid development, with the team effectively redesigning the reserve role around the Australian.

“It’s going to be an extensive testing programme, a lot of test days, a lot of kilometres, a lot of simulator,” added Rossi. “Even compared to last year, my reserve driver [Daniil Kvyat] was not necessarily involved in all those briefings or debriefs – clearly not doing all of the tests, clearly not going on the simulator so much. And that’s normal. Oscar is doing it all.”