A wild Oscar Piastri theory

Who would have thought, that after winning three consecutive championships on the traditional route to Formula 1, young Australian superstar Oscar Piastri would be left without a seat for 2022.

Although it may feel like old news now, Australian motorsport fans are still not over the fact that such a talented young man is being wasted on the sidelines while a 40-year-old Fernando Alonso and a semi-talented driver at best in Esteban Ocon are taking the reigns for the Alpine team in 2022.

As of late, Alonso has made his intentions clear to continue his relationship with the French team, stating that he still feels "better than others".

And while Ocon is contracted until at least 2024, the chances of Piastri getting a seat in 2023 with Alpine are looking rather slim.

But what if there was another option?

If you tune in to LuxF1's Formula 1 podcast 'The Ninth Gear', you would have heard the somewhat crazy theory of Piastri's potential entry into Formula 1 in 2023. But here is some background:

Talks of a mid-season replacement for struggling Williams driver Nicolas Latifi has been on the table across the last couple of weeks, and even a potential fill-in role with McLaren if needed.

But one option that has not been mentioned so much is the possibility of Piastri joining a team that isn't even on the grid yet, Andretti F1.

Now before we jump to any conclusions, clearly nothing has been confirmed about Andretti even joining Formula 1 in 2024, let alone 2023.

But as speculations about a certain billionaire's status in the paddock circles, it might just open up the door for the likes of Andretti to fast-track their $1 billion bid to join the grid sooner rather than later.

It has been reported that Aston Martin owner, Lawrence Stroll is "extremely interested" in selling the team before the 2023 season.

Now picture this..

If Andretti were able to fast-track its bid and join the grid for 2023, it is extremely likely that Renault will be the engine supplier for the American outfit.

And who is the factory Renault team? Alpine.

This opens up the door for a range of opportunities, including Alpine using Andretti as a potential 'development team' for the abundance of Alpine academy drivers currently coming through the ranks.

It is not uncommon to see certain agreements like this one in place in Formula 1, as many academy drivers across Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull are driving for outfits outside of their factory team.

One example includes George Russell, who up until 2022 spent many years in the Williams team, who run a Mercedes engine, to eventually get the promotion into the Mercedes factory team, replacing Valterri Bottas.

If a second Renault-powered constructor were able to work their way onto the grid for 2023, what is stopping Alpine from potentially sending Piastri if a seat does not become available at the factory team?

This creates a win-win scenario for all parties, as Piastri gets his seat on the grid, Alpine does not have to part ways with his Alpine academy contract and Andretti gets to kick off their Formula 1 return with a promising young superstar in the cockpit.

Having Piastri lined up alongside the likes of Sebastian Vettel (assuming Lance Stroll loses his seas and Vettel does not retire) would be very rewarding, or even having someone like Pierre Gasly join the team if Vettel is not available, as the Frenchman will likely be looking for an exit of the Alpha Tauri team.

If you ask me, what could go wrong?

Yes, it may seem like a little bit of a reach, but while we Australians watch the billionaire's club week in and week out, while such an outstanding talent sits on the sidelines, this is what you have to come to expect.