Oscar Piastri might have two legal contracts for the 2023 season- One with Alpine and the other with McLaren.
The Alpine-Piastri-McLaren contract drama has been the main attraction since the summer break.
Followed by the news of Fernando Alonso switching teams, Alpine announced Oscar Piastri as their second driver for the 2023 season. However, Piastri brutally rejected this claim publicly on Twitter.
Now, it has somewhat become clear that Piastri and his management are aiming for the McLaren seat. It is clear that McLaren is pursuing Daniel Ricciardo to move out to make a seat for Piastri in 2023.
Oscar Piastri and the two contracts – Are both legal?
Alpine is claiming to have a contract signed with Piastri for the 2023 season. The French team claims are supported by a website.
However, McLaren also seems to have a valid contract with Oscar Piastri for the same season.
The same website reported that Formula 1’s Contract Recognition Board, which controls and validates the legality of every F1 contract, have looked into the legalities of both the contracts and found both to be legal.
This adds a little spice to the drama.
So what’s next for Piastri’s future?
Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer claimed:
“We have a contract with Piastri which he signed in November. We have spoken to our lawyers and they have told us this is a binding contract, so part of that contract allows us to put Oscar in one of our cars in 2023, which is the reason we issued the press release.“
Szafnauer was disappointed by the way Oscar Piastri and his management acted and said:
“I expected more loyalty from Piastri. He should have it with the team that has taken care of him, that during the last year has put him in a Formula 1 car so he would be ready, so 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,”
added Szafnauer
It’s natural for Alpine and Szafnauer to feel disappointed as they have invested a ‘mammoth‘ amount on Oscar Piastri, giving him to drive more than 3500 km in their F1 car.
More 1500 km accompanied by two FP1 sessions were also on the table in the coming season. But will they happen now? That remains under speculation.
But one thing is confirmed, the dispute is all set to end only by a legal resolution. Which team comes on top in the resolution will be a thing to watch out for.
Moreover, what this ‘resolution’ will mean for Oscar Piastri and his future?
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