The Alpine team has said goodbye to the head of legal affairs at the French racing stable, Benedicte Mercer. It is the result of this summer’s transfer soap, in which McLaren was at odds with Alpine over the transfer of Oscar Piastri.
The 2021 Formula 2 champion will finally make his official racing debut in the premier class next year. However, this did not go without a fight, because the Contract Recognition Board had to be involved to give a definite answer in the case. Alpine was convinced it had a valid contract with the Australian, but in the end it was McLaren who got the paperwork right. The mistake is seen as the responsibility of Mercer, who was announced on Wednesday that she was fired from the team, reports Soymotor.
Error with consequences
With Piastri, the French team wanted to fill the gap left by Fernando Alonso, who left for Aston Martin. However, it did not come that far, as the Australian was announced as Esteban Ocon’s teammate for next season, but announced on Twitter that he will not race for Alpine in 2023. The French had not sealed it properly contractually, so Piastri could make the switch. It is seen as a gross mistake, losing many millions invested in the talent. Alpine is responding to the issue by firing Mercer. The decision was already taken on November 8, according to a letter shared by the medium.
Silly Season
Because of Alpine’s mistake, silly season was immediately interesting. Because Pierre Gasly will eventually defend the colors of the team next year. As a result, Nyck de Vries climbs into the car that the Frenchman leaves behind at AlphaTauri. Daniel Ricciardo is the big victim of the transfer soap. Although he still had a contract for next season in his pocket, it was clear that the team would rather not see him drive alongside Lando Norris.
GPFans is looking for developers!
