Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer has criticised Oscar Piastri following the Australian’s denial that he would race for the team in 2023.
Alpine announced earlier this week that it had promoted Piastri to a full-time drive for next year, replacing the Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso.
However, Piastri swiftly denied that he had signed a contract with Alpine, and asserted that he would not race for the squad in 2023.
It led to speculation that he had signed a contract elsewhere on the grid, believed to be at McLaren, where he would partner up with Lando Norris.
Piastri has been associated with Alpine for a number of years, with the French manufacturer supporting his junior career in recent seasons.
Speaking to El Confidencial, Szafnauer admits that he expected Piastri to show more loyalty to the team.
“I expected more loyalty from Piastri,” Szafnauer said. “He should have it with that team that has taken care of him, that has taken him to the World Championship and, above all, that during the last year has put him in a Formula 1 car so that he would be ready, so that he would know the circuits.
“I expected more loyalty from Oscar than he is showing. I started in 1989 in Formula 1 and I’ve never seen anything like this.
“And it’s not about Formula 1, it’s about integrity as a human being. It could happen in ice hockey or soccer, it doesn’t matter. But you don’t do that.
“He signed a piece of paper, a document, saying he would do something different.
“For me, the way I grew up, I don’t need to sign a piece of paper and then have someone say, ‘You’re lying, because you signed this.’ For me, if you say, ‘Hey, help me, I’ll help you tomorrow,’ there’s no way I would go back on my word. No way.
“You did everything I asked you to do and now I promise you that if you do this, I will do this. I don’t need a piece of paper where it says, ‘With a clause, I can get out of here’.”
Piastri’s situation for 2023 is not yet resolved, however it is believed that McLaren is in talks with Daniel Ricciardo to end his contract early, allowing Piastri to join the team.
Sorry, you dropped Ricciardo so please don’t talk about loyalty mr.Szafnauer
LOL yes there’s no loyalty in f-1
I find it astonishing that Otmar would make such a statement as above, given he was actively involved in numerous incidents of having no honour let alone integrity.
The only question to Otmar I’d ask now is this.
Otmar, Redbull/Mercedes have lost Ver/Ham due to no agreement over contract/s on offer and are looking at other teams. Alpine board seize on the moment and manage to sign Ver/Ham.
But….
You’ve signed Oscar you say for 2023 and Ocon is signed until 2025 I believe, so Otmar where would you place your new star driver?
in the seat meant for Alonso, sorry Oscar?
After all Oscar was NOT your first choice for 2023 but rather Alonso whilst Oscar cut his teeth at Williams.
So I’m afraid Otmar, you talk shit sir!
Agree
There was no indication that prior to Alonso’s sudden move (due to Otmar not wanting to give his star driver the contract he wanted) that Oscar would have had a race seat at Alpine
Yes sometimes events move quickly and with Alonso suddenly gone and the window of execution on the option already lapsed because everything happened on 31/7 to 1/8 then what was Oscar to do when another team came calling and he had no signed contract or known seat.
No they didn’t. Ricciardo dropped them.
And that was before Otmar’s time at Alpine.
Pretty rich coming fro a guy who was part of the org’n who cut loose Perez to get Vettel.
Com’n Omar, it’s not personal, it’s just business.