The exchange Zoff around the Australian Oscar Piastri goes into the next week during the Formula 1 summer break. The reigning Formula 2 champion is to replace Fernando Alonso at Alpine. But he doesn’t care. Now Alpine boss Otmar Sznafnauer accuses him of lack of loyalty and even more.
In the Formula 1 contract Zoff around Oscar Piastri, Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer has sharply criticized the Australian young hope. “I would have expected more loyalty from Piastri. He should have shown more to the team that looked after him, that got him into the World Championship and, especially last year, put him in a Formula 1 car to prepare him and familiarize him with the routes,” Szafnauer told 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 have never seen anything like it. And it’s not about Formula 1, it’s about the decency of a person,” said Szafnauer. 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 have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not drive for Alpine next year,” said Piastri, who probably wants to switch to McLaren.
Alpine continues to believe it is right. “We have a contract with Piastri, which he signed in November. We spoke to our lawyers and they told us that it is a binding contract,” explained Szafnauer. According to this, Alpine can fall back on Piastri as a driver in 2023 and also have an option for 2024 on him. Supposedly everything depends on a clause in Piastr’s contract. It is believed Piastri’s option to leave Alpine stems from the assumption his contract with the team for 2023 was never duly signed.
