Oscar Piastri's hopes of a Formula 1 contention thrust successful 2022 were doomed from the infinitesimal the 2021 calendar was released, according to his squad boss.
The Australian, who leads the Formula 2 championship with conscionable 2 rounds remaining, volition beryllium retired the 2022 season, having signed a woody as Alpine's reserve driver.
He's expected to measurement into a Formula 1 contention spot successful 2023, apt replacing treble satellite champion Fernando Alonso, who volition crook 41 midway done adjacent season.
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But Rene Rosin, who runs Piastri's Formula 2 team, Prema Racing, says the 20-year-old has been a unfortunate of circumstances.
"Unfortunately the format of this twelvemonth didn't assistance Oscar," the Italian told Wide World of Sports.
"Deciding the Formula 2 title successful December doesn't help. At Monza successful September, that's usually the cardinal constituent for Formula 1 teams to determine their drivers for the adjacent year.
"But this twelvemonth we were lone halfway done the Formula 2 title astatine Monza. We inactive had 4 rounds to go. This didn't play successful Oscar's favour."
Rosin was reluctant to comparison Piastri with his erstwhile champions successful the category, specified arsenic Mick Schumacher (2020), Charles Leclerc (2017) and Pierre Gasly (2016), who are each presently successful Formula 1.
But Rosin did enactment the Australian would person been acceptable to marque the measurement up to F1 had the accidental presented itself adjacent season.
"For definite it's a large reward for Oscar to get the Alpine reserve operator spot, but of people it would person been amended to beryllium announced arsenic a contention driver. The drivers that are warring for the F2 title astatine the infinitesimal could each spell to Formula 1," helium said.
"Being Alpine's reserve operator is simply a large reward, but I privation him to beryllium successful Formula 1 sooner, due to the fact that helium deserves it."
Piastri's manager, nine-time expansive prix victor Mark Webber, precocious told Wide World of Sports that Alpine had been caught out by however rapidly the Australian developed, having not expected him to beryllium acceptable for F1 until Alonso's declaration expired astatine the extremity of 2022.
Rosin has besides been caught short, having initially expected Piastri to instrumentality implicit the team-leader relation astatine Prema for adjacent year's F2 season.
"I was readying connected Oscar to person a 2 twelvemonth deal," helium explained.
"It was not signed, but the program we discussed with Mark was ever to leap into F2 this year, larn the bid arsenic a rookie, and past spell for the triumph successful twelvemonth two.
"Oscar amazed everybody. It's a bully surprise, to beryllium fair, and we are blessed for him. But it's enactment america successful difficulties due to the fact that I was counting connected him for 2022!
"He's acceptable to measurement up to Formula 1, helium doesn't request different play successful F2."
Piastri has dominated the past 3 rounds of the F2 season, claiming rod successful each contention and scoring large points each weekend.
That's contempt a interruption of astir 2 months betwixt the rounds astatine Silverstone and Monza, which arsenic Rosin points out, highlights the maturity of the Melburnian.
"One of Oscar's beardown points is to accommodate to the situation. He's calm and his intelligence authorities is incredible," helium said.
"He's been capable to accommodate to the format this year, which honestly, doesn't help. The large gaps betwixt races, you suffer the momentum.
"A batch of drivers request a batch of clip to re-adapt, helium arrived astatine Monza aft 2 months distant and took rod position. It's perfectly incredible.
"Then helium went to Sochi, a circuit helium didn't know, it was caller to him, and again helium smashed the thigh time."
Piastri leads China's Guanya Zhou, who volition thrust for Alfa Romeo successful Formula 1 adjacent year, by 36 points heading into this weekend's circular successful Saudi Arabia, with Prema teammate Robert Shwartzman a further 7 points adrift.
The Australian tin mathematically seal the title this weekend, but it's much apt to spell down to the last lawsuit successful Abu Dhabi adjacent weekend.
"We are truly enthusiastic astir the occupation helium is doing, but thing is done yet, there's inactive 2 rounds to go," Rosin said.
"But he's an astonishing driver, he's done an astonishing occupation for us."
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