By Joe Murphy
The rumour mill is really hotting up as we approach the tail end of the 2022 Formula 1 season, with many seats still ‘up for grabs’ and unofficially taken for 2023. One of those is the Alpine seat alongside Estaban Ocon. The odds of Pierre Gasly making the outfit an all-French one have been slashed recently and it is understood the Alpha Tauri driver is keen on a move. This is reportedly because he does not see himself at Red Bull in his long term future, following a miserable spell alongside Max Verstappen a few years ago.
With recent confirmation of Yuki Tsunoda for next year’s grid, this leaves a space at Alpha Tauri. Do they go for Daniel Ricciardo and bring the homeless Australian back to the Red Bull extended family? The problem is whether or not fiances would allow such a coup. Or there is of course Mick Schumacher, who could be out of a drive next season with Haas non-committal so far. One shock name could be a revival of Nico Hulkenberg’ career with a return back into the Formula 1 fold, with a space at Aston Martin seemingly gone for good following the signing of Fernando Alonso on a multi-year deal.
If it were to be Mick who makes the move, Ricciardo would certainly be someone Haas would be interested in. However, the American constructor could opt for youth instead and go down the route of recently acquired F2 Champion; Felipe Drugovich. The only other route for Ricciardo, if he is to remain in the sport beyond December, could be as a replacement for Nicolas Latifi at Williams. The Canadian is under increasing pressure following a consistent run of poor results, especially in comparison with the progress teammate Alex Albon has made across this year. It remains to be seen whether or not Danny Ricc would accept such a seat or not. It may be a prestigious drive, but not so in terms of pace currently.
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