Just two seats are left open on the 2023 Formula 1 grid – but it may be a while yet before we know the identity of the drivers who will fill them.
'Silly season' has been a particularly surprising one. It all began with the surprise news of Fernando Alonso quitting Alpine for Aston Martin, to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel after his current employers failed to offer him the long-term deal he was after at the age of 41.
Then there was the Oscar Piastri fiasco – things didn't go to plan when Alpine tried to promote the 2021 F2 champion to a race seat. As it turned out, a month earlier he had signed a contract with their main midfield rivals McLaren, and after a legal battle the Contracts Recognition Board ruled he would be allowed to make the move.
