“We will know on Monday if Oscar Piastri will sign for Alpine or McLaren”- Otmar Szafnauer refuses to make Daniel Ricciardo call on live TV

"We will know on Monday if Oscar Piastri will sign for Alpine or McLaren"- Otmar Szafnauer refuses to make Daniel Ricciardo call on live TV

Otmar Szafnauer refused to admit that outgoing McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo will join Alpine at the end of this campaign. 

F1 action returned this weekend after a three-week summer break with the Belgian GP. However, the excitement in Spa-Francorchamps this weekend is more about the shake-up in the driver market.

After Sebastian Vettel announced his upcoming retirement, Fernando Alonso wasted no time in revealing that he was the four-time Champion’s replacement at Aston Martin. This meant that the Alpine seat was empty for the 2023 campaign.

The French outfit announced their junior driver Oscar Piastri as Esteban Ocon’s teammate for next season. That turned out to be an embarrassing move for Alpine since the Aussie later stated on social media that he won’t drive for the team.

Since then, rumors heavily linked him to Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren seat. Those rumors grew even stronger after McLaren announced earlier this week that the 33-year-old will leave them at the end of this season.

Also read: “I’m a Williams driver”: $1 Million a year Alex Albon to break ties with Red Bull after signing multi-year new contract

Daniel Ricciardo future in F1 is uncertain as of now

Piastri is one of the most talented prospects today. He won the 2021 F2 Championship but spent 2022 on the sidelines as Alpine’s reserve driver. Now that the Enstone-based team decided to promote him, he has shifted his focus elsewhere.

Alpine and McLaren are apparently in a behind the scenes battle for Piastri’s signature. However, it’s likely that the Melbourne-born driver will head to Woking. As a result, Alpine are reportedly eying Ricciardo as replacement.

Nothing has been made official, but ahead of the Belgian GP it was evident that the reporters would bring it up. Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer, however, refused to confirm any rumors. The only thing he assured fans of, was that Piastri’s 2023 future will be sorted out by Monday.

“We will know on Monday if Oscar Piastri will sign with McLaren or Alpine,” he said to Canal plus. 

Ricciardo’s future meanwhile is also up in the air. There are some rumors that suggest Mick Schumacher being considered for the Alpine seat, with Ricciardo heading to Haas. The next few weeks will be crucial in terms of seeing how the grid shapes up for 2023.

Also read: “Second is really not far away” – George Russell confident of beating 103 race winning Lewis Hamilton in rookie season

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Alpine Daniel Ricciardo McLaren Oscar Piastri Otmar Szafnauer

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Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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