The new talk of the town in Formula 1 has been Formula 2 championship leader Oscar Piastri. The young Aussie has made his name known as a force to be reckoned with in the sport. Time and again, Piastri has proven why he deserves a seat in the premier class, and now he is a step closer. Alpine has promoted its protege as the new reserve driver for the team.

Piastri had briefly been in the discussions of the open Alfa Romeo seat; he was soon out of the pool after Guanyu Zhou showed more promise for the team. However, this opened the idea of the Aussie in an F1 car. Although Piastri leads the championship ahead of Zhou by a splendid 36 points, he will have to settle for the role of reserve driver – for now.

Fans and F1 folk alike want to see Piastri in an F1 tub. As does the driver, who is hungry for a seat in 2023. Filled with zeal and excitement to prove himself to the team, Piastri is sure of his seat in the big league.

“I’m looking forward to being much more involved with the team and contributing to its intended success next season. The Reserve Driver role is the next step towards my aim for a race seat in 2023, which is very exciting.”

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Having only joined the Alpine Academy last season, Piastri now leads his first year in F2 with three wins, seven podiums, and three pole positions. An enticing package for Alpine, the team looks forward to planning their future with Piastri with an “extensive testing program to continue his preparation and training for a future Formula 1 race seat.”

Who is Oscar Piastri?

A name that has been making the rounds of the F1 paddock, Oscar Piastri brings a lot of promise to F1. Packed with talent and ruthlessness on the track, the 20-year-old is the perfect fit for Alpine. However, it wasn’t always like this for Piastri.

Interestingly, Piastri had a profound passion for racing remote-controlled cars. However, the man is a champion in an actual car. With silverware collected throughout his karting career, Piastri has been an F3 champion and has the Formula Renault Eurocup title to his name. With only two rounds to go in 2021, the F2 crown isn’t far from the Aussie.

Racing for Prema, the driver soon became a fan favorite. And it’s not just for the candid personality; the sheer skill he possesses is astonishing. And Alpine has rightly spotted this quality in their new member.

Although not the same as a seat in a Formula 1 car, the RD role gives Piastri a chance to get acquainted with the team and make his talents known. Once in the pool for the 2023 season, it would be criminal to deprive the driver of an F1 seat.

Nonetheless, it’s a step in the right direction for Oscar. From here, it’s fingers crossed for the 2023 season; hopefully, Piastri will be the second Australian driver racing in an F1 car.

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