Otmar Szafnauer does not exclude a return of Ricciardo to Alpine
While the French team had announced the promotion of Oscar Piastri alongside Esteban Ocon, the Australian driver denied having signed any contract with Alpine on his social media platforms. In case Alpine fails to retain their rising star, the arrival of another Australian cannot be ruled out.
This summer break is already more than eventful, especially at Alpine. After the announcement of Alonso’s departure to Aston Martin, the French team had urgently announced Piastri’s arrival before a new earthquake shook the world of F1. Indeed, the Alpine team would have issued this statement without the signature of the young Australian driver.
An Australian can hide another! If Alpine fails to retain Piastri, Otmar Szafnauer doesn’t rule out the potential return of Ricciardo. Another Australian, who already knows the French team well, and Esteban Ocon since they have already raced under the same banner.
This is in any case what is revealed by Autosport. After Szafnauer’s statement that he had already contacted several drivers following Alonso’s departure, Ricciardo appears as a possibility. Especially since rumors are sending Piastri to McLaren, Ricciardo could go the other way.
However, the French firm seems to have struggled with the departure of the Honey Badger to McLaren, especially considering his successful season with Renault.
Interviewed by Autosport about Ricciardo, Otmar Szafnauer compared this situation to Alonso’s ability to return to his former teams: “If you look at Fernando, he comes and goes, and I think that’s what other drivers do too. I don’t see it as a problem. We need to be focused on the plan we have for the upcoming races. We need to make sure we find the best possible driver to be part of our project, and there are very good options. We need to put the best possible driver alongside Esteban [Ocon] in order to move towards our goals.”
Regarding the situation and uncertainty surrounding Oscar Piastri, the Alpine CEO confirmed being able to work with the young driver, even if the relationship potentially deteriorated following Alpine’s announcement and rumors of him going to McLaren. He compared this situation to Jenson Button’s in 2005.
To consult: Piastri claims not to want to drive for Alpine in 2023.
« I’ve been in the paddock for quite some time and I’ve already seen this kind of thing happen. When Jenson signed with Williams and eventually ended up at Honda. If you remember that story, there was no issue. I know Oscar is different from Jenson, and I hope we won’t have to go down that path.
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