Track Torque: Oscar Piastri tipped to be confirmed for 2023 Alpine seat, with team decision in July

It’s just a matter of when.

The wait could be over for the Melburnian sooner than originally thought, with Alpine set to make a call on their driver line-up for 2023.

As it stands, veteran Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Frenchman Esteban Ocon occupy the two seats at Alpine, with Ocon outperforming his vastly more experienced teammate through five races this season (24 points to two).

Alonso is out of contract at the end of 2022 and the crew on Track Torque believe it’s his seat which is still most likely to open up for Piastri.

“Alpine come out and say there will be a decision around the driver line-up around the British Grand Prix, which is the start of July,” News Digital’s Matt Hickey says.

“Interesting. If they were that keen to keep Alonso, they wouldn’t say, ‘We’ll make this announcement here’.”

Last season, Alonso returned to Alpine – formerly Renault – in a nostalgic hire, after the Spaniard won his two world championships with the French team in 2005 and 2006.

But it hasn’t gone to plan, despite the Renault engine showing signs of promise.

“Fernando can be a slightly tricky character to work with, shall we say,” Rebecca Clancy, The Times’ motorsport correspondent, said on Track Torque.

“I’m not entirely convinced he’s that motivated anymore.”

Piastri, 21, is waiting, hungry to get his chance after dominating the lower categories. He won six races and finished on the podium in 17 of 23 races in Formula 2 last year, en route to the championship.

Alonso is well-aware of Piastri’s potential.

“He’s a good guy, obviously very talented,” Alonso said in April.

“[He‘s] won all of the junior categories until now and [he’s] very professional and hard-working on the simulator, and in the factory and all our meetings.

“Hopefully, he finds a seat soon.”

Piastri’s promise stretches beyond the Alpine factory, with many in the F1 paddock aware of his quality.

“Ocon is performing and is a race-winner (2021 Hungary) but he’s not going to win a championship, whereas Piastri is superb,” Clancy says.

“Not just saying that (for an Australian audience), Piastri absolutely deserves a seat in F1 and I think everything is coming together at the right time for him.

“Not to overcomplicate it, I think he’ll get Alonso’s seat.”

Clancy also predicts Piastri will get to drive in free practice before too long, as Mercedes reserve driver Nyck de Vries will drive for Williams in this week’s opening session in Spain.

Beyond that, the expectation is that Piastri will be a fixture in F1 from next season.

“I have a feeling that it will be Piastri and Ocon in 2023,” Hickey says.

“Don’t know if that’s just my green and gold glasses that I’ve got permanently fixed to my face, but that’s how I took the news through the week.”

This week’s Track Torque also previews the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix, where all teams are expected to unveil some upgrades that usually make an appearance at this stage of the season.

There’s a tribute to Daniel Ricciardo, who this weekend will start his 216th F1 race, surpassing Mark Webber for the most starts by an Australian in the category.

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