Alpine offer Australian reserve Piastri to McLaren as F1 stand-in

MANAMA :Alpine have offered their reserve driver Oscar Piastri as a Formula One stand-in for rivals McLaren, giving the team more options to choose from if COVID-stricken Daniel Ricciardo is unable to race in next weekend's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Ricciardo, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, was forced to sit out the whole of the final Bahrain pre-season test which ended on Saturday.

Team boss Andreas Seidl, who told German publication Auto, Motor und Sport that Ricciardo would have to isolate until the evening of March 17, is confident the Australian will be fit to race in the March 18-20 season-opener in the island kingdom.

The team already have a reserve driver-sharing agreement with engine supplier Mercedes that allows them to use Stoffel Vandoorne or Nyck de Vries as substitutes, while Scot Paul di Resta is also on their books as a back-up. 

"In the spirit of offering maximum racing opportunities to our stable of young talent, we have agreed that McLaren may call upon... Oscar Piastri in the event one of their drivers is unable to race," Alpine said in a statement.

"Oscar will remain fully contracted to Alpine, and we will retain first options on his services," it added.

The statement did not specify how long Piastri would be on offer to McLaren as a reserve but the engagement is most likely for the entirety of the 2022 season.

Australian Piastri, 20, won the Formula Two title last year and is seen as a promising young talent.

He has been tipped as a future replacement for double world champion Fernando Alonso and Alpine have an exhaustive preparation programme planned for him this season.

He could gain crucial Formula One race experience next weekend if McLaren pick him as a replacement if Ricciardo is