de Vries emerging as serious contender for vacant Alpine F1 seat

Nyck de Vries is emerging as a serious contender for the vacant 2023 Alpine Formula 1 seat, RacingNews365.com has learnt.

Fernando Alonso's decision to defect to Aston Martin for next season in August has left Alpine trying to fill the seat alongside Esteban Ocon.

It originally tried to get its junior driver Oscar Piastri into it, but he refused having already signed for McLaren after Alpine had messed his contract around.

The French concern then switched to trying to get Pierre Gasly out of AlphaTauri, but this is dependant on Colton Herta being granted a superlicence by the FIA - although the IndyCar star does not have enough points.

However, as sources told RacingNews365.com, Alpine is now leaning towards de Vries as an option for 2023.

de Vries in for 2023?

Alpine is keen to promote one of its junior drivers into a race seat, with Jack Doohan now top of the list.

However, Doohan is unlikely to be ready for a promotion from Formula 2 in 2023, with 2020/21 Formula E champion de Vries looking a good option for the '23 seat before Doohan takes it over potentially from '24.

Speaking to media including RacingNews365.com at Monza after driving for Aston Martin in FP1, de Vries was coy about his future.

"I mean, I don't have to sell myself, I've won certain things, I've been given the opportunity to to participate in some of the FP1s.

"I deserve a chance. But it's not always just about what you've shown or what you've done, you need a bit of momentum, the timing needs to be right, there needs to be a place.

"It's not just purely based on on what you've done in the past."

de Vries is currently a Mercedes reserve driver, sharing duties alongside 2021/22 FE champion Stoffel Vandoorne.