Australian Piastri to replace Alonso at Alpine in 2023

Australia's Oscar Piastri will replace two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso at Alpine next season, the team announced Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Piastri was named Alpine's reserve driver at the start of 2022. He will team up with Esteban Ocon next year after Alonso makes the switch to Aston Martin.

"Oscar is a bright and rare talent. We are proud to have nurtured and supported him through the difficult pathways of the junior formulae," Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer said in a statement.

"Through our collaboration over the past four years, we have seen him develop and mature into a driver who is more than capable of taking the step up to Formula 1."