Earlier in the morning of the 2nd of August, the Alpine F1 Team team released an announcement that 2021 Formula 2 champion, Oscar Piastri will be driving for them in the 2023 season.
Piastri has been a part of the Alpine F1 Team and Renault family for just over 4 years. He is also the reserve driver for the Alpine F1 Team.
Only a few hours later Piastri released a statement saying that he will not be driving for Alpine in 2023.
Alpine F1 Team Statement
This statement had fans looking forward to seeing Piastri in the driver’s seat for the 2023 season, however, just hours later Piastri put out his response to the tweet in question.
Oscar Piastri On Alpine F1 Team Announcement
“I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 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”.
Otmar Szafnauer talks Piastri Contract
“I’m not privy to whatever pre-arrangements he has with McLaren, if any at all,” Szafnauer said when asked by Autosport about Piastri’s intentions.
“But I hear the same rumours that you do in the pitlane. But what I do know is that he does have contractual obligations to us. And we do to him. And we’ve been honouring those obligations all year.
“And those obligations, last through ’23, and possibly in ’24, if some options are taken up.
“And our obligations to him this year was to be a reserve driver, to also put him in last year’s car for a significant amount of time. We’re well over half that programme of 5000 kilometres, which isn’t insignificant, in last year’s car, in preparation for a race next year.”
This has now left many F1 fans confused as to which driver will be driving for the Alpine F1 Team next year alongside Esteban Ocon. Their current driver Fernando Alonso, double world champion, announced just the day before that he will be driving for Aston Martin in 2023 with a multi-year contract. He will be replacing Sebastian Vettel. Fernando Alonso was a large part of why the Alpine F1 Team was predicted to do so well in 2022.
Piastri is rumoured to be in contract negotiations with the Mclaren team and Zak Brown. He is also said to be in talks with the Williams team, which is yet to announce any drivers to their team in 2023.
Alpine has lost both potential drivers for 2023 within under 48 hours.
Will Piastri be driving in Formula 1 for 2023? And who will the Alpine F1 Team replace Fernando Alonso with?.
Image credits Alpine F1 PR
