Shocking new contender emerges as Fernando Alonso's replacement at Alpine for 2023 season - Reports

In a rather shocking turn of events, a new contender - Nyck de Vries - has emerged as a replacement for Fernando Alonso at Alpine next season. According to RacingNews365.com, the Dutch driver has emerged as a serious contender for the vacant seat at the French team for the 2023 season.

According to the report, Alpine are looking to promote one of the drivers from their academy. However, with Jack Doohan still not ready for a promotion, De Vries is being considered as a stop-gap arrangement for next season.

The 2024 season could see Doohan get a promotion. The report says:

"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."

De Vries has been a regular presence in the paddock this season, as he has done testing duties for Mercedes, Williams, and Aston Martin.

This weekend, the Dutch driver will race as a substitute for Alex Albon at Williams. When asked about his future in F1, De Vries said that he deserves to be a part of the F1 grid. He said:

"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."

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How does Alpine's latest contender for second seat fares against his competition?

De Vries would certainly have his name cut out as far as competition for the second seat at Alpine next season is concerned.

Pierre Gasly is an option but is unlikely for the French team, as AlphaTauri are not looking to let him go. Colton Herta's super license is a big question mark. Meanwhile, drivers like Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher are much more proven entities and already racing in F1.

De Vries is a former Formula E and F2 champion. Both are very impressive credentials but compare that to a race winner or a driver already in F1, his credentials don't look that impressive.

It remains to be seen how Alpine go about picking their second driver next season, something that's going to generate a lot of intrigue.