Alpine Formula 1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer confirms that Alpine junior Oscar Piastri will not drive in free practice for Alpine until after the summer break
Alpine junior Oscar Piastri will not take part in the first free practice session of the French Grand Prix for Alpine after all. This was confirmed by team boss Otmar Szafnauer during the Formula 1 weekend in Silverstone.
Since the current season, it is mandatory for the teams that each of the regular drivers must give up their place for a rookie for one free practice session of the season. In Barcelona, for example, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez sat out, for which Formula 2 driver Jüri Vips had the opportunity to pilot the RB18.
“As far as Free Practice in France is concerned, that’s not the plan,” Szafnauer said of a possible Piastri entry. “Oscar will drive for us, but that will be after the break. “
What about Piastri’s Formula 1 future
There are many rumours about the Australian, who won Formula 3 and Formula 2 directly in his first two seasons. Some media claimed that he would already replace Nicholas Latifi at Williams during the current season, but team boss Jost Capito denied this several times.
It is also believed that Alpine has contractually assured Piastri that he will drive Formula 1 next year, but not with which team. Esteban Ocon has a contract with the French team up to and including 2024 and the soon-to-be 41-year-old Fernando Alonso would like to extend by two years with Alpine.
So it is thought that the Formula 2 champion will replace Latifi at Williams next year. “As far as a place at Williams is concerned, I think the best thing to do is to ask Jost,” said Alpine team boss Szafnauer. “It’s great that one of our young drivers is being courted by other Formula 1 teams. It shows that he has the potential that we are aware of. “
Contract talks have not yet been held at Alpine, he said: “It is just a question of timing and we are not at that point yet. As I said in May, around Silverstone we will start to think about it and probably come to a conclusion after the break and that is still the plan,” says Szafnauer.
