Alpine announced on Tuesday afternoon the recruitment of young Australian Oscar Piastri. Only the latter denied the information and repackaged the French team on his Twitter account, unheard of!
While Alpine announced the arrival of Oscar Piastri to replace Fernando Alonzo, the driver himself denied the information on his twitter account. An unexpected event for the team which had officially announced the arrival of the one who until then had been a reserve driver. The new signing had even been taken up by the official accounts of Formula 1. The Australian’s decision had the effect of a bomb in the world of motor racing.
I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.
– Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) August 2, 2022
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The 21-year-old Piastri was named reserve driver at Alpine at the start of 2022 and appears to be the designated successor to Alonso, who announced on Monday that he would join Aston Martin next season. His decision leaves Formula 1 fans speechless. A real disappointment for Alpine who could take the choice of Pirastri as an affront. An improbable situation never seen at this level.
A driver who knows Alpine
Piastri cut his teeth with the French team, joining the Alpine academy in 2019 on the heels of his Formula Renault Eurocup title. The Australian won the Formula 3 championship the following season, then the Formula 2 championship in 2021, before becoming reserve driver for the French team at the start of 2022. Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer assured that Piastri was “more than ready to move into Formula 1”.
2023 driver line-up confirmed: Esteban Ocon ? Oscar Piastri
After four years as part of the Renault and Alpine family, Reserve Driver Oscar Piastri is promoted to a race seat alongside Esteban Ocon starting from 2023. pic.twitter.com/4Fvy0kaPn7
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) August 2, 2022
“Oscar is a brilliant and rare talent. We are proud to have nurtured and supported him throughout his career in extremely high promotion formulas”, he declared. With Esteban Ocon, present in the French team since 2020, when it was still called Renault, Piastri will not form the tandem of Alpine, currently 4th in the constructors’ classification. “Together we believe this duo will give us the continuity we need to achieve our long-term goal of fighting for wins and titles,” Szafnauer said.
The promotion of Piastri within Alpine was also to confirm a generational shift for the French team, since the Australian will recover the wheel of Alonso who, at 41, is almost twice his age. Returning to Formula 1 last year, Alonso finished in a modest tenth place last season, ahead of Esteban Ocon (8th). This season, “Nando” also occupies the provisional tenth place in the World Championship.
Finally the young driver has calmed down the ardor of Alpine and therefore casts doubt around his future, but also around the future of the French team.
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