On a weekend where a rare podium finish narrowly evaded the Alpine team, Oscar Piastri again demonstrated on the support running to the Russian Grand Prix precisely why the likelihood of him not securing a Formula 1 seat for 2022 could still be the French team’s biggest miss yet.
After the likes of Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Lando Norris – all rightfully hailed champions in waiting – graduated immediately to the premier series after brilliant debut seasons in Formula 2 – Piastri’s exceptional run of form in 2021 should rightfully be placing him next among that trio.
However, in the case of the current F2 championship leader, with only one seat on the 2022 grid at Alfa Romeo available, it appears that Piastri will not make a seamless transition to the top table. Instead, providing he wraps up the title by the time the chequered flag falls in Abu Dhabi, it is looking increasingly likely that the former Formula 3 champion will have to make do without full-time racing commitments next year and he is now reportedly eyeing a reserve driver role in the Alpine set-up.
Another hugely impressive weekend’s work in Sochi witnessed the Australian driver claim his third win of the season and continue his streak of being only of only two drivers to stand on the podium at every weekend this season. While his more experienced main title rival, Guanyu Zhou, faltered throughout the weekend, Piastri is beginning to stretch his legs and stamp his authority on the second tier championship at exactly the right time.
Withstanding race-long pressure from Theo Pourchaire to take his second Feature Race win from pole in succession has enabled him to build up a relatively comfortable 36-point leading margin at the top of the standings and he heads into the 10-week break before the final two rounds in a favourable position to secure a third consecutive junior series title.
He has undoubtedly been the standout performer across a highly competitive F2 field and it comes despite his rookie status. Piastri has largely put his slightly more experienced PREMA teammate Robert Shwartzman in the shade and that is no mean feat considering the glowing reputation the Russian has built for himself over the past few years.
Piastri has long been touted as one of the stars of the future and duly delivered on that status by clinching the F3 title at a pulsating three-way showdown in Mugello last year. But there was still evidently much room for improvement and he has undeniably come on leaps and bounds when tasked with the upgrade in machinery that F2 brings.
Occasionally the step-up can be a struggle for many drivers and even the reigning champion Mick Schumacher needed a second season to fully acclimatise. Nevertheless, Piastri displayed all the hallmarks of being a formidable championship contender immediately in Bahrain to claim victory in the second Sprint event and it gave a thorough glimpse of what was to come.
Although his wait to stand on the top step would stretch to this month, consistent high points scoring paved the way for the Alpine Academy member to be the one they are all left chasing. Yet despite his weekend heroics, it is arguably on a Friday where the most noticeable improvement has come in Piastri.
Surprisingly, Piastri never qualified on the front row in his championship-winning F3 season, but he has reversed those fortunes to achieve more poles than any other driver and has soared to the top of the timesheets at the last three events. He carried on that particular streak with what he described as his “best pole of the year” in Sochi and it also meant he became the fourth driver in the history of the F2 series to qualify on the top spot three times in a row, joining Alex Albon, Leclerc and Russell.
Piastri has the speed, consistency and adaptability to succeed in F1 as early as 2022, but sadly the recent unfolding scope of the F1 driver market has shown the harsh reality that those factors are seemingly never enough to warrant the opportunities such talent deserves.
In fairness to Alpine, their two current race drivers have been equally matched across the board up to this point and both Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon have displayed more than enough to validate the team’s decision to retain them ahead of the hugely significant regulation change coming to F1 for 2022.
Furthermore, their situation is further complicated by being the only engine manufacturer on the grid not to supply another team. With no links elsewhere, it makes finding a home for their array of promising talent extremely difficult in comparison to other academies like Red Bull and Ferrari.
But with Zhou heavily linked and the odds on favourite to secure the vacant season at Alfa Romeo alongside Valtteri Bottas, questions should rightfully be pointed at whether Alpine could, and should, be doing much greater to at least push Piastri more into contention for that drive. However, his name has barely been given a mention and he admits the switch is unlikely to materialise.
Alfa Romeo should certainly not be criticised if they decide to pass up on the chance to give Piastri his F1 bout. The Hinwil-based outfit is under no obligation to develop other team’s drivers at their expense and they likely have a keen eye on integrating Sauber junior driver Pourchaire into the fold sooner rather than later.
Like Piastri, Pourchaire has bookmarked himself as one to watch in the coming years, most notably when he became the youngest driver in F2 history to earn pole position and the race win around the prestigious streets of Monaco. At only 18 years of age, there is no rush for the French driver to be hastily rushed through the ranks and another season in the second string series beckons.
Sadly a title win for Piastri this season would rule that out, but the prospect of him and Pourchaire entering the F1 fold in the same moment is an exciting proposition to imagine.
With Bottas agreeing to a multi-year contract and their own protege in the frame to partner the race-winning Finn in the future, a one-season deal is a probable outcome for whoever eventually is confirmed to be snapped up. Due to Alfa Romeo’s struggles in recent seasons and the plausible scenario where Robert Kubica walks away to leave the team without a title sponsor, Zhou’s backing from his homeland in China would fill a financial void that others can simply not compete with.
Prioritising external factors such as lucrative pockets over outright talent and performance has been a longstanding issue in F1 and it will continue to be so for many years to come. However, while Zhou would arguably warrant his chance on merit, more has to be done from the governing body and the teams to avoid outstanding individuals like Piastri from having their promising career progression inconveniently disrupted.
Piastri’s current predicament can draw strong comparisons to the situation Antonio Giovinazzi found himself in following the Italian’s own rookie campaign in the final support category. Giovinazzi established his credentials in what was formerly known as GP2 in 2016 to take the championship fight to the final round against eventual winner Pierre Gasly.
That alone should have been enough vindication to see Giovinazzi promoted to F1 for the next season, but instead, he would spend nearly two whole years on the sidelines until he was finally granted his eagerly awaited chance at Alfa Romeo for 2019. That prolonged delay to his single-seater career ambitions was arguably the primary detrimental factor to the Italian never showcasing the type of form that had him previously so rated by the likes of Ferrari.
Although his stint at Red Bull never manifested itself into a long-term drive, Gasly’s performances since being demoted to the Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri sister team have been magnificent. Now feasibly befitting of a return to a race-winning squad, it is remarkable to compare the difference in fortunes currently between Gasly and Giovinazzi after being so evenly matched in GP2.
Of course, every situation is different and by no means would a year’s absence lead to Piastri sustaining the same fate, but it offers a stern reminder of the dangers of stagnation for a young driver. Ironically, it was again the Sauber-owned team that was partially at the centre of the Giovinazzi saga and it has come full circle with his seat now the one under intense scrutiny.
It remains a seat, however, that Piastri is destined to miss out on and this should serve as an unfortunate situation that highlights a critical flaw in the workings of the motorsport support system. For the time being, all Piastri can do is continue to establish why the masses are clamouring for him to appear on the F1 scene as soon as possible.
Taylor Powling 