F1 contracts 2023: Daniel Ricciardo’s options limited amid reports Pierre Gasly will sign with Alpine
Daniel Ricciardo’s options for an F1 drive in 2023 are becoming more and more limited amid reports Alpine are set pay Red Bull to release one of their stars early.
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The latest domino in the ongoing F1 contract saga looks set to fall with Alpine said to have agreed to terms with Red Bull for the release of Pierre Gasly.
With Oscar Piastri seemingly bound for McLaren where he will replace Daniel Ricciardo and Fernando Alonso defecting from the French side to join Aston Martin, Gasly looks set to fill the empty Alpine seat and drive alongside Esteban Ocon in 2023.
It is widely believed Alpine will pay Red Bull to end Gasly’s contract 12 months early.
The move is significant for a number of reasons.
Primarily it suggests that Piastri’s legal stoush with Alpine – which has been with F1’s Contract Recognitions Board (CRB) for a number of weeks - is now just down to a financial pay off from McLaren as opposed to the team launching any kind of attempt to hold on to the Australian rookie after their public fallout in July.
Secondly it eliminates the best option Ricciardo had of driving a relatively competitive car in 2023 amid speculation the West Australian may take a break from the sport entirely after saying he would only stay for a seat where he felt he could challenge on the grid.
Thirdly, it would mean Alpine partnering two drivers who have made no secret of the fact they are not friends.
According to some on the grid, Ocon is notoriously difficult to get along with but Gasly insists they fell out because he starting beating his compatriot.
““I started to beat him and he didn’t like it so we’re not friends anymore,” Gasly said.
“We’ve spent a lot of time together but it got to a point where he got a bit too upset and it wasn’t so nice anymore. So we kind of stopped [socialising]. Then after we always [had] quite a lot of rivalry. I think we respect each other as drivers.”
While adamant he had nothing to announce regarding his future at last weekend’s Belgium Grand Prix, a video has emerged of Gasly speaking with Charles Leclerc and George Russell on their way to the driver’s parade at Spa in which he says he was “working on the final details of the contract”.
Unconvincingly the Frenchman explained this as Russell “talking about “marriage or a wedding thing”.
Gasly’s likely move also carries ramifications for other drivers on the market or facing the axe.
Mick Schumacher’s future at Haas remains unknown. The son of F1 legend Michael has not performed as expected this season and team boss Guenther Steiner has made contact with Ricciardo about next year.
There are also questions marks over the futures of Nicholas Latifi at Williams, Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri and Zhou Guanyu at Alfa Romeo.
Reports out of Europe at the weekend suggest that AlphaTauri are keen to get American Colton Herta on the grid in 2023 but he lacks the required super license points.
The other name of note is former driver and current Ferrari reserve Antonio Giovinazzi who will have taken part in two practice sessions for Haas by the end of this season.
While an option, the Italian did little to impress on the grid when driving for Alfa Romeo 2019-21.
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Originally published as F1 contracts 2023: Daniel Ricciardo’s options limited amid reports Pierre Gasly will sign with Alpine
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