2020 F3 champion, and 2021 F2 championship leader, Australian Oscar Piastri is to be Alpine's reserve driver in 2022.

Twenty-year-old Piastri, who hails from Melbourne, joined the Academy on the back of winning the Formula Renault Eurocup title in 2019. He stepped up to the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2020 and won the title as a rookie in stunning fashion.

This year he has taken the F2 championship by storm, catching the eye of the F1 paddock with his three wins, seven podiums and three pole positions, which he achieved at three consecutive races.

He currently leads the F2 championship with two remaining rounds to go in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi and, should he win this year's title, will join only George Russell and Charles Leclerc in an elite club to have won back to back Formula 3 (GP3) and Formula 2 titles as rookies.

In 2022, in his reserve driver role, Piastri will have an extensive testing programme to continue his preparation and training for a future Formula 1 race seat.

The Alpine Academy was established in 2016 by the team's predecessors, Renault F1 Team, to identify and nurture young talent through from the junior categories of motorsport through to Formula 1.

"I'm super excited to be joining Alpine F1 Team as Reserve Driver," said Piastri. "I'm looking forward to being much more involved with the team and contributing to its intended success next season.

"The reserve driver role is the next step towards my aim for a race seat in 2023, which is very exciting. I've proved myself in the junior formulas over the last couple of years and feel like I'm ready for Formula 1 now.

"Along with the trackside experience at race weekends, we will put together a substantial test programme in order to keep developing myself to grow even more prepared for a race seat.

"I'm very thankful to Alpine for their support. We've enjoyed two very successful seasons together in the Academy and I'm grateful for the faith they've put in me for this next step with an eye on a bigger future.

"My focus now is finishing the Formula 2 Championship in the best possible way with Prema and I'm looking forward to being back in the car and pushing hard on track."

"Oscar's natural talent is clear to see," added Laurent Rossi, Chief Executive Officer, Alpine, "so we're very proud and privileged to have him as part of our team as our reserve driver from next year.

"Not only does Oscar have the on-track skills, as demonstrated over the last couple of years in the junior categories, but also the maturity and composure that makes him really stand out from the rest.

"At Enstone he has been a real asset to the team as he has aided the simulator and testing programme and I am certain he will continue to do so in his new role.

"The next step will be to consistently attend Grands Prix to fully integrate with the race team, learn what is expected of an F1 driver and be ready for when the opportunity comes. In addition, we look forward to having Oscar's input and expertise in driving the team forwards next year.

"Oscar's graduation highlights the success of our Alpine Academy and underlines its strength as one of the best young driver programmes in motorsport. We look forward to seeing our young talents continue to blossom through the years to come."