Alfa Romeo still has one place vacant after Valtteri Bottas was signed to replace the resigned Kimi Raikkonen as the de facto team principal for the next season, and there is keen interest in the only remaining place on the F1 grid for 2022.
After Antonio Giovinazzi left his contract at the end of the year, the 27-year-old Italian is once again facing an uncertain future.
Vasseur stressed on Friday at the Italian Grand Prix that Alfa Romeo is in no hurry to make a final decision on its line-up for 2022 and will assess how the Formula 2 leaders including Zhou are doing in the upcoming races in Italy and Beat Russia before making a phone call at the end of the month.
One driver who has already locked himself out of the race is Aston Martin reserve Nico Hulkenberg, who has accepted that his F1 career is likely over after revealing that he had no conversations with Alfa Romeo.
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Sauber’s record star Theo Pourchaire was suggested as an option for 2022 after impressing Alfa Romeo in its recent first F1 test at the Hungaroring and its stellar rookie F2 season.
However, it seems that a promotion for 2023 would be more realistic for the 18-year-old Frenchman as Vasseur hesitates over accelerating a rookie on his way into the Formula 1 rule revolution.
“Theo is doing a good job, he made two great performances,” said Vasseur. “Monaco was good, but so was Silverstone. Then we have to Theo [have] the time to improve.
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“F1 is very complicated, we have a very limited number of test days, next year we have a new car, all teams could have reliability problems.
“That means that we could arrive in Bahrain with a very low mileage. We have to consider that too. It’s never easy for the driver, it’s a challenge, but we definitely have to give them time. “
With all of the above in mind, here’s a look at five potential candidates Alfa Romeo should also consider …
Antonio Giovinazzi
With Bottas signed a multi-year deal, the second seat alongside the Finn seems only a short-term option if Alfa Romeo is looking to promote Pourchaire in 2023.
If Alfa Romeo is looking for a driver to offer a potential year-long bridge before Pourchaire is ready to graduate, then it should look no further than its current incumbent Giovinazzi.
The 27-year-old has been a consistent performance and has shown improvements in each of the three seasons he has contested in Formula 1.
At the Dutch Grand Prix, Giovinazzi achieved the team’s best qualifying result of the year and finished seventh on the grid with a breathtaking lap.
In qualifying for the sprint race for his home race on Friday, he made it into Q3 for the second time in a row. An achievement that underscored his motivation to keep his place for a fourth season in a row.
A Bottas-Giovinazzi pair would form a low-risk, strong midfield combination that should collect many points in a machine capable of reaching the top 10 on a regular basis.
However, a change in the contractual arrangements means that Ferrari no longer has control over a seat of one of its members of the Ferrari Driver Academy, which could ultimately affect Giovinazzi’s chances.
Nyck de Vries
The newly crowned Formula E world champion Nyck de Vries was considered a favorite for the seat, along with Red Bull reserve Alex Albon, who ultimately favored a move to Williams.
It now appears that de Vries’ chances of a career change and an F1 drive in 2022 are dwindling.
“That is definitely not the most pleasant situation,” explained Vasseur. “I think Nyck did a good job in the junior series, he won F2 with ART, he won FE this season and did a good job jumping into the F1 car in Abu Dhabi last year, think I.
“I know him very well because he has driven for ART for a number of years in the past. I think the situation at Mercedes is not easy. “
After underlining his talent by winning the Formula 2 and Formula E titles, de Vries deserved a chance to prove himself in Formula 1.
At the age of 26, de Vries has already gained a lot of motorsport experience and although he would be classified as a Grand Prix rookie, there is little reason to believe that the Dutchman would be overwhelmed in F1.
Oscar Piastri
Alpine junior Oscar Piastri sent a statement to the F1 paddock on Friday as he led Formula 2 qualifying and took his second pole position in the series for Sunday’s main race.
While a move to Alfa Romeo wouldn’t be a conventional route into Formula 1 for Piastri, Alpine has made it clear that it would be ready to strike a deal with another team to get its juniors on the grid, with both seats locked to 2022 and apparently beyond.
The 20-year-old Australian caused a sensation in 2021 and plans to follow in the footsteps of Charles Leclerc and George Russell by claiming consecutive Formula 3 and F2 titles. It would be his third consecutive championship win after winning the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019.
Piastri’s pace and consistency suggest that he is more than capable of this feat, having impressively surpassed his highly rated and more experienced Prema teammate Robert Shwartzman.
If Zhou is in the frame for an Alfa Romeo seat, then Piastri should definitely be in the equation.
It would be a great shame for Piastri to be overlooked and miss an opportunity in F1, especially if he wins the F2 title in his rookie campaign.
Callum Ilott
Another driver who appears to be an underdog for an F1 promotion in 2022 is Callum Ilott.
The 22-year-old Brit was unlucky to miss a seat for this season after finishing second in the 2020 F2 championship and narrowly missing out on the title for Mick Schumacher, who graduated from Haas.
In addition to his test and reserve jobs for Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, Ilott has driven in sports cars and made a foray into IndyCar
Ilott may be a riskier option compared to the likes of de Vries or Piastri, but there is no doubt about his speed and natural talent. As unlikely as it may seem, Ilott would prove to be an exciting addition to the F1 grid.
If Alfa Romeo wants a more experienced option to partner with Bottas, former Red Bull racing driver and current Alpine reserve Daniil Kvyat could be an interesting option.
Kvyat had to get out of Formula 1 for the second time in late 2020 when he lost his seat in AlphaTauri to Yuki Tsunoda, but the Russian has shown he has the speed to be a consistent midfielder.
At 27, he is still young and would certainly return to F1 with a point to prove and highly motivated after his relegations.
An F1 comeback remains the priority for Kvyat, who would surely take the chance to return with Alfa Romeo, even if it were only short-term.
The post Five drivers who should be on Alfa Romeo’s shortlist for F1 2022 first appeared on monter-une-startup.
