Alpine tried to “bully” Oscar Piastri into driving for the team in 2023 prior to losing out on his services to McLaren in Formula 1, according to CEO Zak Brown.
Brown described how Alpine’s infamous press release naming Piastri as Fernando Alonso’s replacement was issued without even speaking to the driver, branding the move a pressure tactic.
“They did not even ask him,” Brown told Mail Sport. “They put the statement out as if it was a done deal. It was used to bully him into doing what they wanted.”
At the time, Piastri was Alpine’s reserve driver – but also under contract with McLaren, who had quietly signed him as a key part of the team’s longer-term plans.
When Alonso’s shock switch to Aston Martin opened up a seat at Alpine, the Enstone-based team rushed out a press release declaring that Piastri would be stepping up to race alongside Esteban Ocon in 2023. It notably included no quote from the driver himself.
That same afternoon, Piastri took to social media and hit back in a now-famous statement:
“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.”
The public rebuttal triggered a legal battle between the teams, eventually settled by the FIA’s Contract Recognition Board.
After a two-day hearing, the CRB ruled in favour of McLaren, confirming their contract with Piastri and ordering Alpine to pay the legal fees for the dispute.
Alpine, left red-faced, issued a short statement acknowledging the outcome and shifting focus to 2023.
How McLaren poached Piastri
Brown said that McLaren’s interest had grown steadily throughout the 2022 season, especially as Daniel Ricciardo’s performances stalled.
“Oscar came high in our thoughts,” he said. “Not only was he our reserve driver but we had a relationship with Mark Webber, who was managing him then as he does now.
“Oscar had pedigree – he was winning in junior formulas in his first year.”
“At the same time Lando was killing it for us,” Brown continued.
“So blooding another new, young driver was a ‘risk’ we could afford to take. The stars aligned. We signed Oscar in stages. Being our reserve driver, he was already familiar with us.”
McLaren argues Alpine didn’t do due diligence
Former Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer later admitted he believed Piastri’s future with the team was secure, but Brown was blunt in his assessment.
“When you come in you have to assess everything and fix it,” he contended. Maybe he should have taken a look.”
Now in his second season with McLaren, Piastri leads the 2025 Drivers’ Championship after six rounds, ahead of team-mate Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
His rise has vindicated McLaren’s faith, culminating in a new long-term contract signed earlier this year, and proved that walking away from Alpine was the correct choice.
READ MORE – Alpine admits to ‘mistake’ that led to Fernando Alonso departure
