The F1 driver market unexpectedly exploded on Monday with the surprise news that Alonso will leave Alpine and join Aston Martin from 2023 on a multi-year contract.
The 41-year-old Spaniard, who won back-to-back F1 titles in 2005 and 2006, will replace Sebastian Vettel after the four-time world champion announced he will retire from the sport at the end of the season.
Alonso’s departure has left a huge void at Alpine and started a flurry of speculation about the consequences for the rest of the F1 grid.
Current Alpine reserve driver and reigning F2 champion Oscar Piastri is considered the favorite to fill the vacant seat left by Alonso, but Alpine has yet to officially confirm their plans.
A report from French publication AutoHebdo claims Alpine could make a surprise move to re-sign Ricciardo, who previously drove for the Enstone outfit before their 2021 rebrand in 2019 and 2020.
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According to the report, the driver domino effect initially started by Vettel’s retirement could see Piastri being snapped up by McLaren.
The 21-year-old Australian is regarded as one of motorsport’s brightest talents and has many admirers in the F1 paddock.
Prior to Alonso’s shock switch, Alpine had sought to find Piastri a seat on the F1 grid for 2023, possibly as part of a short-term loan deal to a rival team.
At one point it looked like Williams would be Piastri’s landing spot, but McLaren has emerged as a potential alternative.
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Ricciardo is contracted to McLaren until the end of 2023 but has come under increasing pressure after struggling to match the impressive pace of team-mate Lando Norris.
The Australian’s future has been the subject of intense speculation since McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown admitted Ricciardo had failed to live up to expectations amid his ongoing struggles.
Brown also revealed “mechanisms” within Ricciardo’s contract that could end soon, but the option is believed to be on the driver’s side, rather than the team’s.
Before the 2022 season began, an agreement was reached between Alpine and McLaren that would allow the latter to call on Piastri’s services if they needed a replacement for their drivers.
McLaren was also understood to be considering Piastri as an option should Ricciardo leave the team at the end of the year, but Ricciardo recently reiterated his commitment to fulfill the remainder of his contract with McLaren.
“I am committed to McLaren until the end of next year and I am not leaving the sport,” he wrote on social media last month.
“Appreciating that it hasn’t always been easy, but who wants easy?!”
That was before news involving Vettel and Alonso sent the 2023 driver market and rumor mill into overdrive.