Rumours swirl around young Aussie’s F1® future
Tuesday, 14 June 2022
The Melbournian could be on the grid sooner than we think.
Silly season is fast approaching in the world of Formula 1®, and our young gun Australian driver could be the hottest property on the grid.
Rumours swirled across the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, with an F1® seat potentially opening up as soon as the week following the Canadian Grand Prix.
Williams driver Nicholas Latifi has been under fire for lacklustre performances across the first half of the 2022 season.
The Canadian driver has had several incidents costing the team more than what he may be worth.
The Williams F1 team was taken over by the US investment firm Dorilton Capital and, as such, doesn’t have as much reliance on drivers bringing their own money to the team.
This is where Melbournian Oscar Piastri comes into the conversation.
Piastri had a quiet race week on social media, but that didn’t stop any talk of the Australian being linked to Latifi’s Williams seat.
Piastri, who is Alpine’s reserve driver, couldn’t break into the Alpine team with Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso both contracted.
Martin Brundle told Speedcafe that it is essential that Piastri take any drive he can get in 2023.
“But in any event, Oscar has to jump in any Formula 1 car he gets a chance to drive because you’ve got to be in it,” Brundle said.
“Two years out, and I think for his own sanity it would be too much.”
By all reports, Piastri has impressed Alpine in his reserve driver testing duties, and the team wouldn’t want to lose him from that role.
Those following along won’t have to wait long for an answer if you believe the seat switch could occur following the Canadian Grand Prix, which is taking place later this week.
At bare minimum it looks like Piastri will be with Williams for the 2023 season with multiple sources confirming a deal is in the final stages of being finalised.
