Oscar Piastri was proclaimed Formula 2 champion in his first season in the category, something that very few drivers have achieved. The Australian has also won consecutive years in Formula 3 and the Formula Renault Eurocup , which has secured him a development driver spot with the Alpine Formula 1 team for 2022.
Despite the talent shown last year in the run-up to the Gran Circo, Piastri was left without a place for the Gran Circo, since Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon had a current contract with the Enstone structure. The Aussie couldn’t find a seat outside the French fold either, and decided to embark on the role of development driver for 2022 , combining trips to the grands prix with simulator work.
Piastri does not rule out playing a test this year, although he doubts that he will do a full season. According to the Australian himself, this course will not be in vain, as he will be observing and working with Alpine’s regular drivers.
“I don’t think it’s a lost year,” Piastri responded when asked by Motorsport.com about how he was approaching 2022. “Needless to say, I would have loved to have been on the grid, but a lot of the things I can learn, like racing an F1 season, to have to adapt to that without the pressure of having to drive, it really is quite positive.
“Listening to Fernando and Esteban, also with a new car for 2022, I can find out how the car develops, and with all my work in the simulator I can try to contribute to it.”
The F2 champion will test the 2021 Alpine at various points in the season in preparation for being full-time in the future. However, he acknowledged that he doesn’t have to be in the car to become a more complete driver and learn to work with the engineers with the demands that Formula 1 presents.
“There are many other things outside of driving that make an F1 driver successful,” he explained. “One of my main roles will be to learn as much as I can from Fernando and Esteban. Just listening to their way of doing things, the way they make suggestions to the engineers, the amount of ability they have to think of ideas and what to change in the car outside of driving is awesome.”
“I think that’s the kind of thing I can achieve. I don’t need to be driving, that’s going to be a big part of next year,” concluded the Australian.
