Former Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi believes Daniel Ricciardo can still win in the sport, with the Aussie looking like he could potentially leave McLaren at the end of the year.

The F1 summer break kicked off in pretty dramatic style with the driver market whirring into life, as Fernando Alonso confirmed a move to Aston Martin for 2023 to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel, in turn generating a void at Alpine.

The French/British team took to Twitter to say Oscar Piastri had been promoted to drive for them alongside Esteban Ocon next year soon after, but the young Australian then went viral saying that he'd not agreed to such a move, with it being reported that he could replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren for 2023.

Nothing is certain right now, then, with it quite possible this situation is going to rumble on for a while but if Ricciardo does leave, it will bring down the curtain on what he admits has been a disappointing spell at McLaren.

A multi-Grand Prix winner, there's no denying his talent behind the wheel, however, and Alesi believes that he can still win races in the future providing he gets a good move to the right team.

"Daniel is one of the biggest characters in Formula 1," Alesi told Give Me Sport.

"I don't know one person when I meet F1 fans who is not talking about him because he is loved by everybody.

"For sure, Lando [Norris] is a new star for Formula 1 and with Daniel, sometimes you are struggling with a car, with new regulations, but there's no doubt he will find a good place to end again back on the top.

"I like Daniel so much and I like also this movement of the drivers in F1. That's great and is what we want. We want to see a Ronaldo leaving Juventus and going to Manchester United situation."

Oscar Piastri could replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren

Alesi also told this site that he wasn't surprised that Piastri finds himself in a tug-of-war for his services in 2023, such is his talent:

"It's fantastic to see a young driver to be in the middle of two teams that want him.

"Oscar made an impressive debut in motorsport - he won his first season in Formula 3 and in Formula 2.

"This season he isn't racing. And that, for me, is more shocking than what is happening now. I think, with the new format of Formula 1 with the new spirit of Formula 1, all the young drivers, the fast ones, they will have a way to find a drive and that for me is best."

The 2022 Formula 1 world championship resumes with the Belgian Grand Prix on Aug 26-28.