Piastri is told: 'Formula 1 in 2023 is a must'

Oscar Piastri has already been praised by Daniel Ricciardo and now another Australian former Formula 1 driver has also spoken highly of him. Mark Webber is very interested in the 2021 Formula 2 champion. Nevertheless, the driver from Melbourne will have to be patient for a year.

Piastri hoped to compete in Formula 1 next season, but he will have to settle for the role of test and reserve driver at Alpine. Webber thinks it is important that his fellow countryman takes on that role for no more than one year. "Then at the latest it has to happen [promotion to Formula 1 in 2023]. I think we're all aware of that. So yeah, '23 is the latest, but there could be opportunities of course before that, which you never know."

According to Webber, Piastri has performed so well that Alpine or other teams cannot ignore him for another year. A big advantage for the 20-year-old driver is that by then he will already have more kilometers at the highest level under his belt. In 2022 Piastri will do some Friday practice for Alpine. That will make him more interesting in 2023 than he was now, due to the fact that the next twelve months will see him gain much more experience.

No Piastri in 2022

Webber in conversation with Speedcafe.com, said: "We all know, there's no one questioning that he deserves to go up to Formula 1 next year, but it's just the way the market rolled out. There just wasn't many seats available. The rotation just wasn't there."

Piastri will now have to throw everything at 2023 to be assured of a permanent seat in motorsport's premier class by then.

Whether that will happen at Alpine remains to be seen. Esteban Ocon has been signed up to 2024 and if Fernando Alonso continues his excellent form of the second half of the season (and wants to continue) iAlpine may not be willing to sacrifice the two-time World Champion for an up-and-coming talent like Piastri.