2023 Driver Speculation

[Penfold]

Seems most likely, but what a mess Alpine has made of this

[Penfold]

Oh yes, Albon staying on at Williams: https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/03/albon-to-stay-at-williams-on-new-multi-year-deal/

[Chrill]

Albon having a cheeky dig at Piastri too:

"I understand that, with my agreement, Williams Racing have put out a press release this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is right and I have signed a contract with Williams for 2023. I will be driving for Williams next year."

[Chrill]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mclaren-end-ricciardo-deal-piastri-2023/10349014/

Ricciardo out, Piastri in. This is not yet official confirmation, but it sure sounds like it's about to be.

Apparently, Alpine believes it triggered a valid option but in time, but there are question marks about whether the 2023 deal is even lodged with the Contract Recognition Board. If it isn't, Alpine basically used a non-existent clause to trigger a non-existent option for 2023, and McLaren picked Piastri up as a fair and free agent.

Ricciardo has a 2023 contract in place, and the discussion now is about buying him out.

[Chrill]

Alpine claim they have 14 drivers in consideration for the second seat. Let's see if we can get some of them right?

1. Daniel Ricciardo
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Zhou Guanyu
4. Pierre Gasly
5. Nyck de Vries
6. Nico Hulkenberg
7. Stoffel Vandoorne
8. Daniil Kvyat
9. Colton Herta
10. Marcus Ericsson
11. Romain Grosjean
12. Theo Pourchaire
13. Felipe Drugovich
14. Jack Doohan

I mean, at least 5-6 of these are on their "shortlist" right? Maybe not the 3 Indycar boys.

[Penfold]

Be an interesting working environment with Pastry given his rather public rejection of the team. Gasly sounds like he's planning on seeing out his contract to the end of '23 but you never know in F1, although does Alpine want to be all-French from a marketing perspective? Perhaps it isn't a factor or perhaps Zhou or Tsunoda (out of contract end of this year) would be a more useful fit.

[Chrill]

Be an interesting working environment with Pastry given his rather public rejection of the team. Gasly sounds like he's planning on seeing out his contract to the end of '23 but you never know in F1, although does Alpine want to be all-French from a marketing perspective? Perhaps it isn't a factor or perhaps Zhou or Tsunoda (out of contract end of this year) would be a more useful fit.

I can see Red Bull letting Gasly go, but not Tsunoda. He'll drive the Red Bull in 2024 when Perez is dropped. Only question is, does Red Bull have anyone to put into AlphaTauri right now? Lawson and Vips are not up for it.

[Chrill]

No Ricciardo for McLaren in 2023 confirmed. Maybe a Piastri though?

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ricciardo-mclaren-part-ways-2023/10357165/

[Penfold]

McLaren must be confident of getting Pastry on board for '23, be in a slight pickle if the contract ruling goes against them

[Chrill]

Norris accidentally confirmed Piastri too, so yeah they are very confident.

Dutch TV asked him: "Are you excited to be partnered with Piastri for 2023?"
Norris: "Is it confirmed now?"
Dutch: "No not yet"
Norris: "...yeah because it's not true"

Something like that.

[Penfold]

No, he said it's not true... aren't you convinced by that? lol

[Chrill]

Nobody knows why, but it seems the final Haas seat is a battle between has-been Hulkenberg and has-been Giovinazzi, whereas the incumbent driver (currently beating his team mate, as he did last year) is apparently not really in the running.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/nico-hulkenberg-2023-haas-seat-mick-schumacher/10368245/

[Chrill]

Confirming Piastri, adding some Doohan and Gasly to Alpine, some Herta to Alpha Tauri, some randoms to Haas, we get this grid:


Oracle Red Bull Racing:
1. Max Verstappen (link) - until end of 2028
11. Sergio Perez (link) - until end of 2024

Scuderia Ferrari:
16. Charles Leclerc (link) - until end of 2024
55. Carlos Sainz (link) - until end of 2024

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team:
44. Lewis Hamilton (link) - until end of 2023
63. George Russell (link) - until end of 2023

BWT Alpine F1 Team:
31. Esteban Ocon (link) - until end of 2024
3. Daniel Ricciardo (link)
10. Pierre Gasly (link)
?. Jack Doohan (link)

McLaren F1 Team:
4. Lando Norris (link) - until end of 2025
?. Oscar Piastri (link) - until end of 2024

Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen:
77. Valtteri Bottas (link) - until end of 2024
24. Guanyu Zhou (link)
?. Nyck de Vries (link)

Haas F1 Team:
20. Kevin Magnussen (link) - until end of 2023
3. Daniel Ricciardo (link)
27. Nico Hülkenberg (link)
47. Mick Schumacher (link)
99. Antonio Giovinazzi (link)

Scuderia AlphaTauri:
10. Pierre Gasly (link)
22. Yuki Tsunoda (link)
?. Ayumu Iwasa (link)
?. Colton Herta (link)
?. Dennis Hauger (link)
?. Jehan Daruvala (link)
?. Jüri Vips (link)
?. Liam Lawson (link)

Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team:
14. Fernando Alonso (link) - until end of 2024
18. Lance Stroll (link) - until end of 2023

Williams Racing:
23. Alexander Albon (link) - until end of 2023
6. Nicolas Latifi (link)
47. Mick Schumacher (link)
?. Logan Sargeant (link)
?. Nyck de Vries (link)


Confirmed Retirement:
5. Sebastian Vettel (link)

[Chrill]

Could F2 champion Drugovich join Aston Martin as their reserve driver?
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f2-champion-drugovich-in-frame-for-aston-martin-f1-reserve-role/10368228/

It makes some sense, no?

[Chrill]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/giovinazzi-set-to-join-alpine-f1-test-at-hungaroring/10369484/

Alpine testing a lot of drivers in Hungary:

* Nyck de Vries
* Jack Doohan
* Colton Herta
* Antonio Giovinazzi

Sebastian Vettel (!), Mick Schumacher and Nico Hülkenberg were also rumoured to appear, but it seems Vettel won't and I can't find any word on Hulkenberg. Schumacher has been confirmed not to attend.