After McLaren confirmed the contract with Oscar Piastri, the Australian recorded a video message to fans sharing his joy, not forgetting to thank Alpine.
Oscar Piastri: Hello everyone! Finally, the news has come out that I will make my Formula 1 debut at McLaren in 2023. I am overwhelmed with emotions because I have to go to the start of the next championship with a team that is very prestigious to play for.
I have no doubt that it is great to start a career at McLaren, and I have been doing that for a long time. It was a dream of mine and I have been racing for 12 years now and I want to thank everyone who has supported me along the way, including my colleagues at Alpine who I have worked with over the years.
I also thank my family, they have made an important contribution by supporting me from the beginning of my career. Now I look forward to representing McLaren’s colors in Formula 1 and will do everything I can to drive as fast as possible and show good results. I look forward to working with this team, with Lando Norris, so see you soon!”
As the race press writes, commenting on the outcome of this story, it all started with Alpine going to hire Piastri to the Williams team, which did not suit Australian management at all. And it was only when Fernando Alonso unexpectedly signed a contract with Aston Martin that the works Renault team were forced to change plans and announce that Oscar would become Esteban Ocon’s new partner.
But it was too late: on July 4 he signed a contract with McLaren Racing, which Alpine simply knew nothing about. Mark Webber, who is Piastri’s career, did not want his protégé to make his Formula 1 debut in a lagging team and took advantage of the fact that in the agreements with Alpine there was no obligation at all to transfer him to the main team .
Such actions by the rider’s management naturally caused extreme irritation to the Alpine management, as they considered it a betrayal, as this team has really invested heavily in Piastri and organized a very extensive testing program for him.
However, the FIA Contract Recognition Board (CRB) unanimously supported McLaren’s position and ruled that Piastri’s super license also applies to this team. The CRB decision was signed by four independent lawyers – Professor Klaus-Peter Berger, lawyers Ian Hunter, Mathieu de Boisseson and Stefano Azzali.
The contract with McLaren is for the period 2023-2024.
Source: F1 News
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
