Alpine are in the process of finding a replacement for Esteban Ocon ahead of the 2025 season. The team announced prior to the Canadian Grand Prix that they would be parting ways with Ocon by mutual consent.
They want to tie Pierre Gasly down to a new long-term contract in the sister car as he approaches the end of his deal. Gasly and Ocon, who fell out after a childhood friendship, collided at the Monaco Grand Prix last month.
That would ensure a degree of continuity for the team, but there are plenty of different approaches they could take for the second seat. They may decide to promote from within and hire reserve driver Jack Doohan.
They could also look for a proven external commodity. Valtteri Bottas certainly fits that bill as a 10-time race-winner with Mercedes.
Audi have reportedly told Bottas that he has no future in their project ahead of their arrival in 2026. That has prompted him to pursue options elsewhere.
Rather than playing it safe, Alpine could also take a gamble. Former Haas driver Mick Schumacher is on their list, having already represented the team in the World Endurance Championship.
Guenther Steiner says Zhou Guanyu financial appeal is ‘overrated’
Another driver who will hope to be in the Alpine conversation is Zhou Guanyu. The team know Zhou well after he spent two years as their test driver in 2020 and 2021.
Like Sauber teammate Bottas, he’s looking for a seat elsewhere for 2025. And he’ll hope a huge financial package comes to his aid.
Zhou is the first full-time Chinese driver in F1 history and he brings commercial ties from his homeland. One journalist believes he can offer around £27m in that regard.
But speaking on the Red Flags podcast, former Haas boss Guenther Steiner suggested that this wouldn’t be enough to persuade Alpine. With the backing of a giant manufacturer like Renault, he believes they won’t be governed by such incentives.
“It’s a works team,” he said. “I think they will get the best driver possible. I think in the current status of F1, this is overrated, ‘who’s bringing money or not?’.
“Especially the big teams, with the budget cap. They know what they want. They want success.”
Zhou eyes Haas seat rather than Alpine
Zhou is now 53 races into an F1 career that has yielded just 12 points so far. Both he and Bottas are still waiting to get on the board in 2024, though their C44 is statistically the slowest car on the grid.
The 25-year-old seems to recognise that a return to Alpine is unlikely. Instead, he’s set his sights on Haas, who may yet have two seats available.
Oliver Bearman is poised to replace the Audi-bound Nico Hulkenberg. But there’s ‘little chance’ of Kevin Magnussen keeping his drive on the other side of the garage.
The problem for Zhou is that Ayao Komatsu seems to have earmarked Ocon as his man. And ultimately, he just can’t compete with the Frenchman, who’s won a race and taken three podiums, when it comes to pedigree.
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