Szafnauer does not understand Oscar Piastri’s behavior
The team principal of Alpine expected more loyalty from Oscar Piastri. The latter had denied the statement from the French team that indicated he would be driving for them in 2023.
A tweet that set the internet ablaze. Just a few days after Sebastian Vettel’s departure announcement, the transfer market caught fire. Fernando Alonso, to everyone’s surprise, announced that he will be joining Aston Martin to replace the four-time world champion.
In search of another driver, Alpine assured that Oscar Piastri would join them in 2023. However, the latter denied the information via a Twitter post. A situation that Otmar Szafnauer, the team principal of the French team, has difficulty understanding.
We have a contract with Piastri, which he signed in November, we spoke with our lawyers and they told us that it is a binding contract, so one part of this contract allows us to put Oscar in one of our cars in 2023, which is why we have released a press release, he stated to El Confidencial.
“Unfortunately, Alonso has signed with Aston, and I understand why, but not Piastri.”
There is also an option [in Piastri’s contract] and the possibility for us to “loan” the driver to another team. We wanted Fernando with us for another year, and then a “loan” of Oscar for 2023. I always said in all my press conferences that Piastri would be in Formula 1 in 2023, and that’s because I knew he could be in one of our cars or on loan to another team, if Fernando had stayed.
Otmar Szafnauer expected more loyalty from Piastri.
(English) When Piastri, for example, signed the contract with Alpine in November, he was there and knew nothing. I’ve always seen that Laurent Rossi was trying to do what was best for both drivers. With the contracts; with Fernando wanting to continue, with Oscar wanting a seat for 2023… and Rossi gave his approval. Laurent worked very hard to find him that seat for next year. At Alpine, we tried to do what was best for both drivers, without trying to play with either of them, by being transparent with them. Each driver knew what was happening. Unfortunately, Alonso signed with Aston, and I understand why, but not Piastri.
Otmar Szafnauer believes that Alpine deserved more loyalty from Oscar Piastri. The team principal highlights the fact that the French team allowed him to compete for the Formula 2 championship and that he was able to drive an F1 car for the first time thanks to them. « I started in Formula 1 in 1989 and I have never seen anything like this. And it’s not about Formula 1, but about integrity as a human being. »
