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Alpine have confirmed Pierre Gasly as a driver for the 2023 F1 season, leaving Daniel Ricciardo a seat lesser. The French team announced their line-up simultaneously along with AlphaTauri, who have confirmed Nyck De Vries.
Confirming the move, the Frenchman spoke in a press release saying:
“I am delighted to join the Alpine family and begin this new chapter in my Formula 1 career. Driving for a team that has French roots is something very special. I know the strengths of Alpine having raced against them over the past couple of years and, clearly, their progress and ambition is very impressive. I wish to thank Red Bull as this marks the end of our 9-year journey together. It is thanks to their trust and support that I became a Formula 1 driver, and what we’ve achieved with Scuderia AlphaTauri over the last years has been very special. Looking ahead, I want to give the maximum and utilise all my experience to fight for podiums and ultimately contribute to Alpine’s fight for championships in the future.”
Although there was a lot of controversy surrounding the Alpine team throughout the summer break and the first two races after, they seem to have finalized their driver lineup eventually. Gasly was rumored to be one of the prime candidates for the seat since the 2022 F1 Dutch GP. After all the speculation surrounding numerous drivers being linked with the seat, the Frenchman has finally been confirmed to pair alongside compatriot Esteban Ocon for the 2023 F1 season. Daniel Ricciardo, who previously raced for the French outfit, has limited options left for himself at the moment.
What are Daniel Ricciardo’s options for the 2023 F1 season?
Apart from a sabbatical from the sport, the Australian has very few options left. Despite wanting a full-time seat at a team for the 2023 F1 season, a reserve driver role for Daniel Ricciardo is being considered a realistic option. The 33-year-old driver was dropped by McLaren despite having a year left on his contract with fellow Australian and F2 champion Oscar Piastri replacing him.
With Alpine signing Gasly and AlphaTauri confirming De Vries, the only seats left for Daniel Ricciardo are Haas and Williams. Despite his slump in performance, those two teams might not be the best option for a driver of his caliber. A reserve seat at Mercedes or another team, along with a long wait for options to open up for the 2024 season, might be the only option one can anticipate at the moment. The McLaren driver has not yet considered any other options in motorsport, but a break could help him rejuvenate mentally to reenter the sport in 2024 or 2025.
