F1 2023 driver market: Who will land Alpine's spare seat?

Alpine are seeking a candidate to partner Esteban Ocon for the F1 2023 season following Fernando Alonso’s shock departure, but who is likely to get the drive? 
Who will land the best vacant seat on the F1 2023 grid?

Alonso’s 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:switch to Aston Martin has left Alp🌠ine with an unexpected vacancy for 2023. The French manufacturer tried to fill it by announcing the promotion of reserve and test driver Oscar Piastri, only for the 2021 F2 champion to deny h𝓡e would make his F1 debut with the team. 

Alpine 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:lost a contract battle to McLaren for the highly-rated Australian’s services and have been searching for a replacement eve🎀r since, with Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer claiming the team had up to 14 drivers on their shorꦐtlist for what he described as being “the best seat open in F1”. 

We’ve taken a look at the leading candidates believed to be in the frame for the most competitive remaining seat on the168澳洲5最新开奖结果: F1 2023 grid

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Alpine's first choice 

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Pierre Gasly is said to be the number one🎃 target for Alpine, but such a move would 🧸rest on outside factors. 

Red Bull are preꦑpared to release Gasly from his contract in order to enable the Frenchman to join Alpine, but only if an acceptable alternative can be found to replace him at AlphaT⛎auri. 

Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko had originally wanted to sign IndyCar driver Colton Herta, but the 22-year-old American lacks sufficient points for a superlicence that is required to race in F1.&nb🤪sp;

Who will land the best vacant seat on the F1 2023 grid?

With Herta now out of contention for an ဣAlphaTauri drive, it has emerged that Red Bull have set their sights on Nyck de Vries, who confirmed to Dutch media that he met with Marko last week. 

Gasly is an attractive candidate for Alpine. He has been one of the standout drivers in F1’s midfield i𒁃n recent years and is a grand prix winner. At 26, Gasly is in his prime and a move to the upper midfield and a manufacturer outfit would be appealing given his hopes of a Red Bull return appear to be over. 

But Gasly will be staying put at AlphaTauri alongside the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Yuki Tsunoda if Red 🌠Bull cannot find a suitable replacement. 

The testing trio 

Alpine are understood to have carried out a private three-day test 📖with a 2021 F1 car at the Hungaroring this week as the team continues to evaluate their options.&🐽nbsp;

De Vries took part following his starring performance on his F1 debut as a last-minute stand-in for 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alex Albon, who was ruled out of the Italian 🅺Grand Prix with appendicitis. 

The 27-year-old, who won the Formula E title last year with Mercedes, convincingly beat Williams regular 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Nicholas Latifi on his way to matching the team’s best res𓂃ultꦚ of the season by finishing ninth at Monza. 

Nyck de Vries (NLD) Williams Racing Reserve Driver on the grid. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 16, Italian Grand Prix,
Nyck de Vries (NLD) Williams Racing Reserve Driver on the grid. Formula 1 World Championship,…

His impressive F1 bow has significantly boosted his chances of land💟ing a full-time drive for 2023. Williams are thought to be ready to offer Latifi’s seat to de Vries, who has also drawn interest from Alpine and Red Bull. 

While Alpine are admirers of de Vries, he could yet end up being the key to unlocking Gasly’s switch to Alpine if he joins the Red Bull stable🎀 and sister team AlphaTauri. 

Ferrari reserve and former Alfa Romeo driver 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Antonio Giovinazzi kicke🗹d off Alpine’s three-day test on Tuesday. 

The Italian, who has already been linked with a drive at Haas for 2023 and is having two F🃏P1 outin🥀gs with the American squad, has emerged as a possible candidate to replace Alonso. 

Giovinazzi would certainly tick the box of being the experienced driver Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi ideally wants, with t𝐆he 28-year-old scoring 21 points in 62 races for Sauber and later Alfa Romeo between 2017 and 2021. 

Who will land the best vacant seat on the F1 2023 grid?

After losing his Al♔fa Romeo seat at the end of 2021, Giovinazzi switched to Formula E. Following a♐n unsuccessful first season in the all-electric championship, he is determined to secure a return to F1. 

Also getting behind the wheel of the 2021-spec A521 ca💮r in Hungary was F2 frontrunner Jack Doohan, who rounded out the running on Thursday. 

The son of five-time motorcycle world champion 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Mick Doohan is already part of the Alpine Academy programme and got his first taste of F1 machinery in Q🧸ataꩲr back in May. 

𒐪The latest test provided 19-year-old Doohan with further F1 experience, as well as giving him the chance to show off his credentials. 

Who will land the best vacant seat on the F1 2023 grid?

Doohan has enjoyed an impressive rookie F2 season and currently sits fourth in the championship, having♎ followed up sprint race wins 𝓡at Silverstone and Hungary with his first feature race victory in Belgium. 

While Doo🌳han is under consideration for a 2023 seat with Alpine, the team would prefer for the Australian to make his F1 debut in a less-pressured environment.

The outside bets 

Free agent 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Daniel Ricciardo is on🉐 the lookout for an F1 drive after losing his McLa🌠ren seat to Piastri for 2023.

Despite going through an awkward 𒐪breakup at the end of 2020, Szafnauer said Alpine would have no issue in bringing Ricciardo back to Enstone. 

After all, with eight grand prix victories under his belt, Ricciardo remains a strong option, eveღn after his well-documented struggles at McLaren. 

Aside from Szafnauer’s comments at the start of August, talk of Ricciardo going back to Alpine has gone quiet, and the Australian’s recent admission suggests he is 168澳洲5最新开🐭奖结果:bracing for a 🏅year on the F1 sidelines

Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) McLaren on the grid. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 14, Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort, Netherlands,
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) McLaren on the grid. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 14, Dutch Grand…

Could another one 🍷of Alpine’s former drivers make a comeback instead? 

F1 veteran168澳洲5最新开奖结果: Nico Hulkenberg is a known quantity at the Anglo-French o🌱utfit and a reliable option. 

Hulkenberg last raced full-ඣtime in F1 with Renault in 2019 but has made a handful of substitute appearances for Racing Point and Aston Martin when their regular drivers were siꦐdelined with COVID-19. 

However, the 34-year-old German is believed to be a front-running candidate to replace168澳洲5最新开奖结果: Mick Schumacher at Haas next season 

Fellow compatriot Schumacher has also been linked with Alpine as he l♎ooks to stay on the F1 gܫrid. 

Ocon named the son of seven-time world champion Michael as his preferred teammate, though realistically, Schumacher is only thought to ܫhave an outside shot of landing the spare Alpine seat. 

(L to R): Esteban Ocon (FRA) Alpine F1 Team and Mick Schumacher (GER) Haas F1 Team in the FIA Press Conference. Formula 1
(L to R): Esteban Ocon (FRA) Alpine F1 Team and Mick Schumacher (GER) Haas F1 Team in the FIA…

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