Piastri would be "pretty annoyed" not to land 2023 F1 drive after title treble

The Australian scored his third consecutive single-seater title with two races to spare after finishing third in Saturday’s opening F2 sprint race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The F2 title completes an impressive treble of championships following on from last year’s run to the FIA Formula 3 crown in his rookie year after winning the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup championship at the second time of asking.

Despite his meteoric rise through the junior categories, the Alpine Academy driver has been unable to secure an F1 race seat for next year, with Alpine only able to offer him a reserve driver role, meaning he will effectively have a season on the sidelines from a racing perspective.

Alpine currently has Esteban Ocon signed to a long-term deal and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso under contract until the end of next year, and doesn’t have an affiliated F1 team to place Piastri in a drive.

Now finding himself in illustrious company alongside Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc and future Mercedes racer George Russell as back-to-back F3/GP3 and F2 championship winners, Piastri admitted he would be frustrated not to be on the F1 grid in 2023.

“I have certainly done everything in my power to present my case for an F1 race seat,” said Piastri, a winner of five F2 races this year.

“I think I said at the beginning of last year or this year, I thought results could barge my way into an F1 race seat somewhere, clearly that has not worked out.

“Of course it is a bit disappointing I won’t be making the jump directly and I really, really hope that I’m on the grid in 2023.

Oscar Piastri, Prema Racing, Theo Pourchaire, ART Grand Prix

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“I’d be pretty annoyed, for a PG version of my comments, if I wasn’t on the grid in 2023 because I have run out of things to prove myself with.

“I think next year I have got a very good opportunity with Alpine to transition to the F1 world obviously without the driving.

“But I will be attending all of the flyaway races and experiencing the hectic calendar of the F1 world and a lot of work in the sim, so I won’t be spending that much time on the couch.

“But it will be a busy year and it is a fantastic opportunity, of course it’s not quite the ultimate goal I wanted for next year.

“Throughout my racing career, I have done well in controlling the things I can control and that is not something I can control.

“I will try my best for Alpine to prove why I should be on the grid and hopefully it leads to a seat.”

Oscar Piastri, Prema Racing

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

On winning the title to join Russell and Leclerc as back-to-back F3 and F2 winners, he added: “It’s a massive honour to be in that list with them to have done it in my rookie year.

“I have said previously that, at the beginning of the year, I didn’t expect it so to do F3 and F2 back-to-back and also win Eurocup the year before, I think it has exceeded all my expectations.

“I hope it shows that I’m a pretty handy steerer.”

Piastri will undergo an extensive F1 testing programme with Alpine next year, driving a 2021 car and is hoping to ensure his face remains in the paddock so he is not forgotten and overlooked for drives in 2023.

“I will still be doing a decent amount of driving - it won’t be racing,” he said.

“I want to keep my focus on F1 and make sure my face is in the paddock so people don’t forget about me to be honest.

"I think driving an F1 car, there is no substitute for that, you can’t go racing in something else expecting it to prepare you for F1.

“It is such a step up from everything, even F2, I want to make sure my focus is on that even if I can't race in F1 or anything next year.

“F1 is my ultimate goal and realistically it is a goal not a dream anymore.”