Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer believes that the team have a stronger driver line-up with Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon instead of Oscar Piastri.

Gasly was announced as Alpine's pick for 2023 alongside Ocon over the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, and he has driven for the team for the first time now, with him taking part in the post-season test earlier this week in Abu Dhabi.

An intriguing future awaits Gasly, then, who will hope Alpine can build on what was a positive 2022 which saw them finish P4 with a quick, if a little fragile, car.

Closing the gap to the top three will not happen overnight but as the only team using Renault power they have all the ingredients to potentially get to the summit in time, and both Gasly and Ocon have the talent to carry the team in that fight.

Of course, Alpine had been looking to bring Oscar Piastri through to replace Fernando Alonso initially, after the Spaniard revealed he was off to Aston Martin for 2023, but McLaren were also keen on Piastri and, of course, we had to have the FIA's Contract Recognition Board making a ruling over whose agreement with the young Aussie stood - it would be McLaren's.

Szafnauer is not fussed about that, though, suggesting that Alpine might actually have a better driver line-up now than they would have had they kept Piastri for next season:

“Thinking that Oscar had a contract with us and the Contract Recognition Board saying something different was a process we had to go through.

“We had to go to the CRB and then get a resolution. You know, that’s life, that’s why you have bodies that judge if two sides think differently.

“Look, let’s see how we do next year. I’m happy that our driving pairing with Esteban and Pierre is better than it would have been if we had won that case."

Oscar Piastri in Abu Dhabi testing

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 22: Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren looks on in the garage during Formula 1 testing at Yas Marina Circuit on November 22, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Time will ultimately tell.

Both Gasly and Piastri are wonderfully gifted drivers, who are at different points in their careers.

Gasly has been itching for a chance to join a team that is nearer the front and he has that now so, potentially, he could be a really big hit at Alpine.


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