Alfa Romeo's driver list: Who will drive for the team in 2022?
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Like Williams, Alfa Romeo have plenty of choice when it comes to picking drivers for next year. The contracts of both Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi are coming to an end and Formula 1 journalist Lawrence Barretto has looked at the options available to the Swiss team.
According to Barretto, Alfa Romeo will divide the team between a very experienced driver and a somewhat younger, inexperienced driver. That's why he doesn't think that Giovinazzi and Raikkonen will fight for the same seat. Giovinazzi belongs with the drivers with less experience, he believes.
Experience in the first car
Raikkonen will compete with compatriot Valtteri Bottas and Nico Hulkenberg. Bottas may leave Mercedes after 2021 if the German team promotes George Russell to sit alongside Lewis Hamilton. "Should Bottas be interested, the Swiss team will know they have a super motivated racer," Barretto revealed on F1.com.
Although Hulkenberg performed well during his three substitute appearances in 2020, Barretto thinks the German is the third choice after Raikkonen and Bottas. "There would be undoubtedly be a bit of rust should he make a full-time comeback, but he is still holding out hope of a return – which means motivation would be high."
The youth seat
The final seat will be a battle between Giovinazzi, Callum Ilott and Robert Schwartzman. According to Barretto, Giovinazzi has a chance, but must hope that Alfa Romeo don't want to go for youth, because then Ilott and Shwartzman will come into the picture. Ilott is impressing in his reserve role for the team while Shwartzman could still clinch the 2021 Formula 2 title.