Oscar Piastri opens up on "bizarre and upsetting" split with Alpine
Oscar Piastri has given his first interview since being officially added to the McLaren line-up, opening up on the "bizarre and upsetting" circumstances of his split from Alpine.
Oscar Piastri in the Formula 1 paddock during the 2021 season. (Alpine Racing)
“I was free to choose my destiny – and I felt McLaren was a great opportunity," said the Australian.
"They were very straightforward and very keen and enthusiastic to have me."
"To be completely honest, there was a lack of clarity around my future at the team at Alpine."
Piastri said that he felt he had been treated in the same way as Spanish veteran Fernando Alonso, who left the team and opened up the spot for him in the first place.
"…the lack of clarity and, similarly to Fernando, a bit of a strange feeling in negotiations, it didn’t feel like it was the right decision for me."
Piastri said that the announcement of his F1 future was the biggest moment of his career and that he was disappointed for it to be handled in this way.
He claims that he outlined to Alpine management multiple times that he intended to leave the team, and that they announced him as a future driver without informing him, calling the moment he found out "bizarre and frankly upsetting."
"It was done publicly in front of some members of the team who were oblivious to the situation and I didn’t want to cause a scene in front of them."
"Once we were in private, I told [Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer] what our position was and what he had been told multiple times before that."
Szafnauer confirmed on Saturday that he had told the Australian of the news while he was in the simulator, but reiterated his claim that Piastri received the news positively.
"It wasn’t a group of people, it wasn’t bizarre, and he smiled and said ‘thank you’."
For now, Piastri remains reserve driver at Alpine, which Szafnauer has indicated may change in coming weeks.
Piastri says he is happy to carry out those duties, but will be fine either way - he now has less than six months to wait until his full-time debut in the McLaren garage.
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