The seat vacated by Fernando Alonso at Alpine remains unowned and is one of the hot topics in the paddock at the moment.
After announcing his decision to sign for Aston Martin Racing and wear green from 2023 following the offer of a two-year contract, something that Enstone did not dare to do due to the age of the Spanish driver, Alonso has opened an unexpected abyss.
At this time, only Esteban Ocon is confirmed by Alpine for the next campaign. Oscar Piastri rejected the seat and could sign for McLaren after the resolution of the dispute that affects both the French team and the Woking team, but the market continues to offer some other interesting opportunities.
One of them is Pierre Gasly, who seems to be the favorite to form a duo that would be totally transalpine. But there was also the Mick Schumacher hypothesis. The German driver, who is currently at Haas, will leave Ferrari at the end of 2023, Motorsport.com has learned.
Esteban Ocon junto a Mick Schumacher
While Alpine works on choosing the name of its new rider, Esteban Ocon has made his preferences known. It is not very often that a driver expresses himself so clearly about the teammate he would like to have, especially when it comes to a choice that they will have to make yes or yes.
“People know that my choice, if someone asked me in the team, it would be Mick . As long as I don’t have anything planned for next year,” said the French driver.
“For my part, whoever it is, I will focus on my work, on developing the car and trying to move the team forward. That’s what I want to do.”
“Mick showed his talent in the lower categories, he was always very fast. In Formula 1 it is not easy to have a good performance with a car that may not be as competitive. It happened to me too when I started racing here.”
“I am sure that Mick is a good driver and could do very well if he got into a car that is competitive. Right now, Alpine is. These are just my words and thoughts, it is not for me to make a decision that is up to the team. But they know that my preference is Mick”, concluded Ocon .
