Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer admitted that they contacted Daniel Ricciardo regarding a possible reunion for 2023.
Alpine had to look for a new driver for the 2023 season after Oscar Piastri’s switch to McLaren. Earlier, Szafnauer did not rule out Ricciardo’s return to the team. However, the Enstone-based outfit decided to sign Pierre Gasly.
Nevertheless, Szafnauer revealed that Alpine had talked with Ricciardo.
“Well, at the beginning [of the driver search], we did have discussions with a few drivers, including Daniel,” he said.
“[But] Pierre meets the criteria that I said, to a T: he’s experienced, fast, and young.
“So, when it became evident that Pierre was a possibility, we made our shortlist even shorter.”
