F1 Gossip: Alpine considering B-team to accomodate young drivers

- According to Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward, Alpine is considering bringing a B-team to the grid in the future for its junior drivers.

The French outfit has a hot of promising young drivers, including current F2 championship Oscar Piastri. 

With Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon locked down for next year, the likes of Piastri are set to miss out.

- Piastri believes his chances of the second Alfa Romeo season are virtually zero.

“My chances of being in F1 next year are extremely low, I think basically none”, he said in an interview on his website. “I know [Guanyu] Zhou has been very heavily linked to that seat and also Giovinazzi is there at the moment. I don’t think I’m going to be in that seat at all, I think it is the only opportunity for next year. I’d be happily surprised if it was me in that seat for next year.

“I think the most realistic target and goal is to be Alpine’s reserve for next year because at the end of the day I am still very heavily linked with them and very appreciative of their support, and I think that is reciprocated."

“So I think the most logical step is to try to become reserve driver for next year and see what kind of programme we can come up with for next year, and hopefully do some testing and FP1 sessions. And then try to get into an F1 seat for the following year for 2023.”

- Australian Grand Prix Corporation boss Andrew Westacott is confident F1 will return to Albert Park in 2022. (WWOS)

- Significant changes are being made to the Losail International Circuit ahead of the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix next month. (RacingNews365)

- Lawrence Stroll has described his son’s time with Williams as “two years of torture”. 

He said on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast: “We started with Williams, you know, two years of torture Particularly when you’re used to coming off winning, and when you train for two three hours every day, and watch what you eat and know that the best you’re going to do is 18th on a good weekend. It’s challenging so getting him a car last year was very, very important.

“Very important for everything for all the work he has put in.”

- Mercedes’ James Allison believes Lewis Hamilton could have finished as low as eighth had he not stopped during the Turkish Grand Prix.

Speaking on Mercedes’ YouTube channel, he said: “When we eventually did call Lewis in, it was because the lap time chart that we use to make our predictions was telling us that it was not looking good for hanging on to the end of the race – that the car’s pace by then would be sufficiently poor that… we were looking at something that was somewhere in the region of seventh, eighth place, based on the way in which the tyres were progressively degrading.”

- Reigning F1 Esports champion Jarno Opmeer has started the new season in brilliant fashion by winning two of the opening three races for Mercedes. 

The Dutchman is 14 points clear of Aston Martin’s Lucas Blakeley in the drivers’ championship, while Mercedes sits top of the teams’ standings.