Piastri could still drive Alpine in 2022

Alpine is not ruling out running Oscar Piastri in a Friday practice session this season - despite threatening to demand compensation for his likely 2023 departure.

The reigning F2 champion is expected to defect to McLaren next year, despite Alpine wanting to appoint him as successor to Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso.

But Alpine sporting director Alan Permane suggested recent in Hungary that Australian Piastri, 21, would appear in Friday practice "at Spa or Monza".

Given the circumstances of Piastri’s falling out with the Renault-owned team, it will not be this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.

But a team spokesperson told France’s Auto Hebdo that Alpine will "honour all its commitments" to Piastri, which included Friday practice outings in 2022.