Here s how Alpine dug its own grave in the Oscar Piastri fiasco after allegedly renting him to Williams
Here's how Alpine dug its own grave in the Oscar Piastri fiasco after allegedly renting him to Williams Comment Share Oscar Piastri walks in the Paddock before practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 20, 2022, in Barcelona, Spain (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) Alpine’s inefficiency and indecisiveness with Oscar Piastri and his management in contractual negotiations cost them their reserve driver. In an exclusive by RacingNews365, it has been reported that the French outfit had nothing beyond a reserve driver’s contract with the Australian driver. RacingNews365 reports that Oscar Piastri’s management, which included Mark Webber, kept waiting since November 2021 for a proper contract for both a reserve driver and an F1 driver. The F2 champion was promised a contract for a reserve role in 2022 and an F1 seat for 2023 in his contract, with a timeline given of 10 days to process the document. RacingNews365 underlined the beginning of the Oscar Piastri contract saga in their report, saying: “On November 15, 2021- Alpine raised an option in [Oscar] Piastri’s Alpine Academy contract, allowing the team to make him a test and reserve driver for 2022 and also hinting at a role as an F1 driver for 2023 and beyond. When the option was raised, some terms were drawn up, but Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi explicitly emphasized that these terms were only the starting point for further negotiations on the final, final terms of the contract.” “In addition, the Australian and his management were promised a list within ten working days with the conditions that had to be met for an F1 seat before 2023. These conditions were to form the basis for further negotiations on the precise details of a contract between Piastri and the Alpine Academy. In other words: everything revolved around those conditions, which Alpine would send to Piastri within ten working days.” FIA@fiaDecision of the Contract Recognition Board 02/09/2022
fia.com/news/decision-…28760Decision of the Contract Recognition Board 02/09/2022fia.com/news/decision-… https://t.co/vwmCTUtgRj After not hearing from Alpine for weeks, Oscar Piastri’s management was assured by an understaffed legal team from Enstone that they will have something in hand by March 2022. By then, a new season was ready to begin and the only terms that were offered were those for a reserve role and not a driving seat in 2023. Highlighting the offer made to Oscar Piastri in March 2022, RacingNews365 reported: “In March 2022, [Mark] Webber and associates only received a draft with the conditions for his role as reserve driver. There was no mention of his possible role as an F1 driver in 2023, which was still discussed in November. Ultimately, Alpine wanted to draw up two separate contracts. One for Piastri’s role as reserve driver and one for his possible future role as a full F1 driver. And so it took longer and longer. The F1 season started on March 18 and the CRB had to have and approve Piastri’s contract for that day. Otherwise, he couldn’t get a super license and not participate in 2022 if he needed to. In the rush to meet that deadline, Alpine focused on Piastri’s 2022 contract, i.e. the reserve driver contract.”
fia.com/news/decision-…28760Decision of the Contract Recognition Board 02/09/2022fia.com/news/decision-… https://t.co/vwmCTUtgRj After not hearing from Alpine for weeks, Oscar Piastri’s management was assured by an understaffed legal team from Enstone that they will have something in hand by March 2022. By then, a new season was ready to begin and the only terms that were offered were those for a reserve role and not a driving seat in 2023. Highlighting the offer made to Oscar Piastri in March 2022, RacingNews365 reported: “In March 2022, [Mark] Webber and associates only received a draft with the conditions for his role as reserve driver. There was no mention of his possible role as an F1 driver in 2023, which was still discussed in November. Ultimately, Alpine wanted to draw up two separate contracts. One for Piastri’s role as reserve driver and one for his possible future role as a full F1 driver. And so it took longer and longer. The F1 season started on March 18 and the CRB had to have and approve Piastri’s contract for that day. Otherwise, he couldn’t get a super license and not participate in 2022 if he needed to. In the rush to meet that deadline, Alpine focused on Piastri’s 2022 contract, i.e. the reserve driver contract.”