Alpine announced on Monday that Esteban Ocon will leave the team after five years of working together at the end of the season.
The 27-year-old joined the French F1 team in 2020 and picked up his first victory in Formula 1 in 2021 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, also managing two further podiums.
However, Ocon has been under pressure this year alongside team-mate Pierre Gasly and was criticised for causing a collision between the pair last week in Monaco. He will serve a five-place grid penalty this weekend in Canada.
While Ocon’s future in the sport is uncertain, so is his potential replacement at the Renault-works team. Who could replace Ocon at Alpine next year?
Carlos Sainz
This will be Alpine’s dream signing – or should I say re-signing.
Sainz drove for the team – then known as Renault – for one full season in 2018 before joining McLaren and then Ferrari, where he has become a three-time grand prix winner.
However, Sainz is still looking for a seat next year given Lewis Hamilton’s move to the Scuderia and though a return is thought to be unlikely, Alpine will surely at least try and open the door to negotiations for the Spaniard.
Audi (Sauber) and Williams are, however, thought to be the frontrunners for the 29-year-old.
Jack Doohan
The Australian – son of motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan – is a strong contender to capitalise on the open seat at Alpine.
Doohan is Alpine’s reserve driver and is highly regarded among personnel at the Enstone team, impressing in free practice sessions in the last two years.
The 21-year-old is not racing this year as he awaits an opportunity in Formula 1. He finished third in Formula 2 last year, winning three times.
Is Doohan ready to make the step up to the highly-coveted 20-man grid?
Valtteri Bottas
The experienced Finn is out of contract at Sauber at the end of the season and with the team already having confirmed the signing of Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, either Bottas or team-mate Zhou Guanyu will leave the team at the end of the season.
2024 is Bottas’ 12th straight-season in F1 but he is still thought to be keen on racing next year and has been heavily linked with Williams, even pictured in a meeting with team principal James Vowles recently.
Alpine may now see the likeable 34-year-old as a solid option for their second race seat.
Yuki Tsunoda
The RB driver is something of an unknown in the current driver market.
Tsunoda has impressed for Red Bull’s sister team this season, scoring 14 more points than team-mate Daniel Ricciardo so far.
However, in what is his fourth season in F1, Tsunoda is unlikely to be promoted to the Red Bull mothership and is therefore believed to be looking at options outside the Red Bull programme.
Could Alpine be an option for the popular Japanese driver?
Zhou Guanyu
Much like Bottas, Zhou’s future in the sport is precarious – probably even more so than his team-mate.
The Chinese driver has struggled so far this season in the worst car on the grid, failing to pick up a point, and his chances of re-signing at Sauber appear unlikely.
Zhou was part of Alpine’s academy prior to being poached by Alfa Romeo in 2022 and his commercial value as the sport’s first Chinese driver is a factor in his favour too.
Mick Schumacher
The wildcard pick.
Schumacher has been waiting on the sidelines for 18 months now, diligently undergoing his duties as a reserve driver for Mercedes since being dropped by Haas at the end of the 2022 season.
The German, son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, is racing for Alpine in their World Endurance Championship team this year and will be sporting their colours next week at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
If he impresses, could the 25-year-old carve a route back into the sport he so desperately wants a second chance in? It is a possibility.
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