“I’ve never seen anything like it” – team boss calculates with unwilling talent
Confusion over Alonso successor – Piastri rejects promotion
The French racing team Alpine has appointed Oscar Piastri as Fernando Alonso’s successor – apparently without his prior consent. On Tuesday evening, the 21-year-old Australian spoke up via Twitter and contradicted the promotion.
Oscar Piastri is set to be a regular driver in Formula 1 next season, but the young Australian has refused to drive for Alpine. Team boss Otmar Szafnauer now publicly settles accounts with Piastri. “Millions upon millions” were put into its development.
In the Formula 1 contract for Oscar Piastri, Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer has sharply criticized the Australian hope for young talent. “I would have expected more loyalty from Piastri. He should show more towards the team that looked after him, got him into the World Championship and especially last year put him in a Formula 1 car to prepare him and get him used to the tracks do,” said Szafnauer (57) “El Confidencial” in Spain. “Millions and millions of euros” have been put into Piastri’s development.
“I’ve been in Formula 1 since 1989 and I’ve never seen anything like it. And it’s not about Formula 1, it’s about a person’s decency,” said Szafnauer.
Otmar Szafnauer, team boss at Alpine, is outraged by Piastri’s actions
Source: dpa/Expa
After the surprising departure of Fernando Alonso at the end of the year as the successor to Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin, Alpine needs a new driver. The French team then announced top talent Piastri as a pilot alongside Esteban Ocon for 2023. The Australian, already a reserve driver at Alpine, contradicted the representation. “I will not drive for Alpine next year,” said Piastri, who probably wants to switch to McLaren.
Alpine insists on a contract
The Australian is considered a promising talent. Two years ago he won the title in the junior class Formula 3, in the previous season he was Formula 2 champion. Earlier this season, he had been hired as Alpine’s reserve rider.
The team continues to believe they are right. “We have a contract with Piastri, which he signed in November. We spoke to our lawyers and they told us it was a binding contract,” Szafnauer explained. According to this, Alpine can fall back on Piastri as a driver in 2023 and also have an option for 2024 on him.
