Alpine open to Ricciardo's return in 2023
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Alpine is working hard behind the scenes to find a successor for Fernando Alonso as soon as possible. Where Oscar Piastri was the dreamed successor, it is still uncertain if the driver will actually get behind the wheel of Alpine. If this is not the case Otmar Szafnauer does not exclude that Daniel Ricciardo will be in the picture again, he told Autosport.com.
The Alpine team boss certainly did not see Alonso's move to Aston Martin coming. When the Spaniard announced this after all, the French racing team turned all its attention to Piastri. While Alpine announced on Tuesday that it had snapped up Piastri, the driver himself knew nothing about it.
Piastri is reportedly in talks with McLaren to succeed Daniel Ricciardo in 2023, which could turn into a legal battle between the driver and Alpine. Szafnauer apparently has to reckon with Alpine having to go for plan B, and Ricciardo's name comes up.
Ricciardo serious option for Alpine
In 2019 and 2020, Ricciardo already drove two seasons for Renault, the former name of the racing team. Although the Australian failed to live up to expectations at the time, the team boss still sees a good driver in the current McLaren driver.
Ricciardo is this season under pressure at McLaren and seems therefore not sure of his place next year. A return to Alpine is then one of the possibilities. According to Szafnauer his team must choose the best option and it could be that the racing team ends up with Ricciardo.