Out of all of the teams on the Formula 1 grid, it appears as though Alpine are the furthest away from knowing who their driver line-up is going to consist of next year.
Alpine confirmed after the Monaco Grand Prix that Esteban Ocon would be leaving the team at the end of the season after a five-year association with the French manufacturer.
His teammate Pierre Gasly has reportedly been offered a new long-term deal, however, Gasly is said to willing to consider his options should another team come calling.
Journalist Edd Straw was speaking on The Race’s YouTube channel about who could fill either seat at Alpine next year.
There are plenty of drivers already in Formula 1 or on the cusps of the sport who would do anything to join the – currently – Renault-powered outfit in 2025.
However, it’s been suggested that current academy driver and highly-rated prospect Victor Martins is a serious longshot to make that step up.
Having just turned 23, Martins was one of the favourites for the Formula 2 title this year and is racing with the number one on his car.
Unfortunately, he’s suffered more bad luck than most drivers have to deal with throughout an entire season in just the first five rounds of the series.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Victor Martins is considered the ‘longest of longshots’ for the 2025 Alpine race seat
Born in 2001, Martins has risen through the ranks of the junior formula at a steady pace collecting several titles along the way.
In 2020, Martins won the Formula Renault Eurocup before an impressive 5-place finish on his Formula 3 debut the following year.
He went on to win that championship in 2022 and then replicated his debut 5-place standing during his first year at F2 level.
Martins would have been targeting another title this year in his fourth season with ART Grand Prix, but the season couldn’t have gone worse having scored just 11 points so far in this campaign.
It leaves him 20 out of 22 drivers in the standings with several unfortunate retirements ruining his campaign thus far.
Had Martins been challenging the likes of Paul Aron and the Red Bull-backed Isack Hadjar at the front of the F2 grid, he would definitely be in the conversation for a 2025 Alpine seat.
His record up to this point is more impressive than Jack Doohan who had a very strong junior career without picking up any major silverware.
However, the Australian is very much in the frame for an Alpine seat next year whereas Martins may have to bide his time.
Victor Martins hampered by difficult 2024 Formula 2 campaign
Speaking about the Alpine seat, Straw said: “There are inevitably other candidates, but right now they’re longshots.
“Victor Martins is the other senior Alpine academy driver [after Jack Doohan] and is seriously quick, even though he’s had plenty of misfortune in his F2 campaign.
“He is getting simulator running but appears to be behind Doohan in the pecking order so [he] is the longest of longshots.”
Several other drivers are eyeing a move to Alpine for next year to either stay on the Formula 1 grid or break into the sport.
Mick Schumacher would love to be considered by Alpine having raced for their WEC team this year after his two-year spell at Haas in 2021 and 2022.
Zhou Guanyu could offer Alpine a huge financial package although Guenther Steiner expects the French team to reject that approach.
If Martins starts to put together a title charge in F2 – beginning in Barcelona – then he may return to the frame.
Alpine would love to have a French driver in the team and if Gasly follows Ocon out of the door, then Martins offers them a very fast alternative.
The post ‘Right now’: ‘Seriously quick’ driver is now the ‘longest of longshots’ for 2025 Alpine seat – journalist appeared first on F1 Oversteer.