{"id":217407,"date":"2026-01-05T06:29:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T06:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/217407\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T06:29:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T06:29:18","slug":"f1-news-oscar-piastri-opens-up-on-controversial-alpine-split","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/217407\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 news: Oscar Piastri opens up on controversial Alpine split"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\u2018It
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOscar Piastri during his time as an Alpine reserve driver. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n

The Melburnian revisited the season he spent as Alpine\u2019s reserve driver after winning the Formula 2 title, admitting the lack of racing took its toll even as it quietly prepared him for life in Formula 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was certainly a tough time,\u201d Piastri said in an Off The Grid episode.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaturally, as a racing driver, you want to go racing. That year, not racing was tough, definitely.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt did allow me to view some things from the outside a little bit easier \u2014 being part of a weekend, understanding what media commitments are going to be like, what the sponsor commitments are going to be like, just the general rhythm of the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned a few things about that, but it was a tough time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Piastri joined the Renault Sport Academy in 2020 and rapidly established himself as one of the most highly rated prospects in the sport, winning both the Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships as a rookie.<\/p>\n

Despite that success, Alpine was unable to place him on the grid for 2022, leaving him to observe Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon from the garage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always took pride in the fact that I was doing everything that I could, and I was always confident that something would come up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What followed became one of the most dramatic driver market episodes of recent years.<\/p>\n

Alpine announced Piastri as Alonso\u2019s replacement for 2023, only for the Australian to publicly deny the move hours later in a now-infamous social media post.<\/p>\n

I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have 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.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) August 2, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year,\u201d he wrote at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Behind the scenes, Piastri had already committed to McLaren, triggering a dispute that was ultimately settled by the FIA\u2019s Contract Recognition Board in the Woking-based team\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kind of knew that it was going to be a pretty big story,\u201d Piastri said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were reasons for doing that, it wasn\u2019t just me going out of my ways to announce to the world that I\u2019m not racing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, I certainly look back on it now with some laughs. Definitely at the time, it wasn\u2019t so funny.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt obviously went to the CRB. Things were in my favour, but that was another pretty tense moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ruling cleared the way for Piastri to make his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2023, a move that has since proven pivotal.<\/p>\n

While he narrowly missed out on the 2025 drivers\u2019 title, the 24-year-old enters 2026 with nine victories, 26 podiums and six pole positions from just 70 grands prix, firmly established as one of the sport\u2019s leading figures.<\/p>\n


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