F2 champ Piastri would be ‘pretty annoyed’ not to get F1 seat in ’23
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Chris Medland | December 15, 2021 8:22 AM ET
Oscar Piastri admits he would be “pretty annoyed” if he isn’t promoted to a Formula 1 seat in 2023 given his junior record.
The Australian has won the Formula Renault Eurocup, FIA Formula 3 and FIA Formula 2 championships in consecutive seasons, securing the F2 title in Abu Dhabi last weekend. He also got to test a 2021 Alpine on Tuesday during the Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test but he will not race in 2022 due to a lack of vacancies in F1, with Alpine making him reserve driver.
“I’ve certainly done everything in my power to present my case for an F1 seat,” Piastri said. “I said earlier this year I thought results could barge my way into a seat somewhere — clearly that’s not worked out. Of course it’s a bit disappointing that I won’t be making the jump directly and I really, really hope I will be on the grid in 2023. I’d be pretty annoyed — for a PG version of my comments — if I wasn’t on the grid in 2023 because I’ve run out of things to prove myself with.
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Piastri left the rest of the F2 grid in the shade this year, taking six wins. Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
“Next year I’ve got a very good opportunity with Alpine to transition to the F1 world — obviously without the driving, but I’ll be attending all the flyaway races so experiencing the hectic calendar of the F1 world and a lot of work on the sim. So I won’t be spending that much time on my couch.
“It will be a busy year and it’s a fantastic opportunity that I’ve got. Of course it’s not quite the ultimate goal that I wanted for next year but I think throughout my racing career I’ve done quite well at controlling the things I can control — and that’s
not something I can control. I’ll try my best for next year to prove to Alpine why I should be on the grid and hopefully it leads to a seat in 2023.”
Confirming to RACER that he doesn’t know when the next time he drives a racing car will be, Piastri says there’s little chance he will race at all in 2022.
“I highly doubt it. I mean, I wouldn’t 100% rule it out but if I did race next year, I think it would maybe be a one-off appearance or maybe a couple of appearances. I very highly doubt that it would be a full-season appearance.”