In his effort to save his seat with Alfa Romeo, Antonio Giovinazzi claims he is not considering options to compete outside of Formula One in 2022.
Alfa Romeo is rumored to be considering replacing Giovinazzi for next season, with a variety of drivers being considered to accompany Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas.
Guanyu Zhou, an Alpine junior and F2 title contender, is thought to be leading the race for the seat, although the team has yet to make a decision.
Giovinazzi qualified for Q3 in two of the last three races, taking P7 on the grid in Zandvoort and Monza. However, since finishing 10th in Monaco at the end of May, he has failed to score any points.
When asked by Motorsport.com if he had considered other choices if he were to lose his Alfa Romeo seat in 2022, Giovinazzi answered he had not yet considered alternatives and was focused solely on keeping his spot.
“To be honest, for now, I want to focus to keep this seat in Formula 1,” Giovinazzi said.
“Then if in the worst case, I would start to think about for next year. But for now, I just want to focus on my job here in F1, and try to keep my seat.”
Giovinazzi said it was “not a question for me,” but rather for his team principal, Frederic Vasseur, to determine a timeline for an Alfa Romeo decision on his future.
“The only thing I can do is just drive and get to more points and I hope that will be enough,” Giovinazzi said.
In 2017, Giovinazzi made his Formula One debut with the team as Sauber, filling in for the injured Pascal Wehrlein in the first two races of the season.
The Italian then returned to the team full-time at the start of 2019, helped by his ties to Ferrari, which controlled one of the team’s seats.
However, Ferrari no longer has a say in the second Alfa Romeo seat, with Mattia Binotto, the manufacturer’s F1 head, stating at Monza that the company “cannot influence the team decision.”
Alternative options for Giovinazzi inside the Ferrari racing family for next year have not yet been addressed, as according Binotto.
“I think a lot will depend on his willing, and what’s Antonio’s really interests for the future,” Binotto said.
“But I think that the first step, for sure, to try to find a place and the seat in F1 for him, and it’s where we are fully focused at the moment.”
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