McLaren has won the Oscar Piastri battle, but could Alpine win the war? That’s one of the theories after a wild transfer saga ended on Friday, as Sky Sports delve into the talking points of the Contracts Recognition Board’s ruling…
By Matt Morlidge at Zandvoort
Last update: 02/09/22 19:50
Why McLaren turned to Piastri
McLaren’s move to replace Daniel Ricciardo with Oscar Piastri made a lot of sense for a team desperate to get back to winning ways for two key reasons.
First, it’s incredibly rare for a young driver with Piastri’s resume to be available on the market.
And second, the move – at least from his point of view – significantly weakens his direct rival, potentially for many years.
That Alpine has been somewhat embarrassed during this process and in the verdict of the Contract Recognition Board, must also be somewhat nice.
Piastri has long been regarded as motorsport’s most talented youngster. Piastri won three single-seater championships in a row from 2019, while his feat of back-to-back Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles is only previously achieved by Charles Leclerc and George Russell. But while Leclerc and Russell immediately secured F1 seats after their triumphs, Piastri had to settle for being Alpine’s reserve driver in 2022.
“The way I met him so far, we have to meet him, we are convinced of his talent and his potential,” team boss Andreas Seidl told Sky Sports F1 about Piastri.
“He is young, he is full of energy, he has the right confidence in himself but at the same time he is very humble and he is aware of the great challenge he has for him next year.
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McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl speaks to Sky Sports following the announcement that Oscar Piastri will drive for McLaren in 2023.
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl speaks to Sky Sports following the announcement that Oscar Piastri will drive for McLaren in 2023.
“I think we’re a team that has shown in the past that we can handle young guys coming into the sport really well, so I’m looking forward to continuing with him next year.”
When it became clear that Ricciardo was not making the jump to the 2022 car – in fact, he has been even less competitive compared to Lando Norris – after his rookie season struggles, McLaren had no choice but to explore the market
In Piastri they achieve, at least on paper, an ideal long-term solution.
How did Alpine let go of its prized asset?
Alpine – minus a three-pair statement – has yet to give any media reaction to the decision, with Otmar Szafnaeur set to face questions at a team principals’ press conference on Saturday morning.
There is a lot to understand from the French team.
Piastri’s contract failure needs to be explained first and foremost, as Alpine has gone from over-reliance on a watertight contract to a team that was unanimously rejected in a contract hearing.
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Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater explains the Alpine mistakes that led to them losing their contract battle against McLaren for Piastri.
Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater explains the Alpine mistakes that led to them losing their contract battle against McLaren for Piastri.
In a more damning revelation, Sky Sports News also understands that Piastri did not sign key pieces of the contract paperwork.
McLaren has faced criticism from some for poaching Piastri, with some teams afraid to invest in young drivers coming forward now that Alpine has lost the bright light of its academy.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s answer was pretty simple on Friday night. If you want to keep drivers, make sure they have a contract.
This was a very public defeat and a bitter pill to swallow for Alpine.
But could Alpine “benefit” from the signing of Gasly?
McLaren have won the battle over Piastri, but there is certainly still an argument that Alpine could win the war, with the team now eyeing Pierre Gasly.
While Gasly doesn’t have as dominant a youth CV as Piastri, he does have one thing the Australian doesn’t and that is F1 experience and success. Alpine know what they’re going to get and that’s a proven, mega-talented and driven driver after his Red Bull issue.
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Former world champion Jenson Button believes Piastri should not make enemies so early in his F1 career amid contract dispute between Apline and McLaren
Former world champion Jenson Button believes Piastri should not make enemies so early in his F1 career amid contract dispute between Apline and McLaren
“It’s given them an opportunity for another great driver in their team who has a lot more experience than Piastri and is a better fit for them at the moment,” Sky Sports F1’s Jenson Button said.
“Sometimes it doesn’t go your way, but you take advantage of it and I think Alpine could do that next year.”
Swapping AlphaTauri for Alpine would also represent an upgrade for Gasly.
Another option for Alpine is Mick Schumacher, who Esteban Ocon has promoted for the job. Ricciardo, meanwhile, seems to be far away…
What about Ricciardo? Button: Williams would be perfect!
Just as Ricciardo thought he was out of the McLaren news cycle, the revelation that McLaren had agreed a contract with Piastri in early July – and nine days before Ricciardo issued a statement on social media insisting he was staying – it can’t have been a pleasant feeling. for the Aussie, he’ll shrug it off as he would.
Ricciardo admitted to the media on Thursday that he believed Alpine was leaning towards Gasly, while also reiterating that he was considering a sabbatical in 2023. He even surprisingly considered being a reserve driver for the top teams.
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If he were to stay, his last two options appear to be Haas and Williams, who Button has given the playing field to his good friend Ricciardo.
Button is a former Williams driver and current senior adviser, and said: “Obviously I work with Williams and I know what they’ve come up with and what’s changed over the last few years with the team.
“So it’s a very exciting prospect to work with a team to develop a car around you the way you like to drive it.
“I’m one of those people, like Daniel, who wants a car that suits my style. So it would be a perfect scenario.”