Formula 1: Oscar Piastri has denied signing up for Alpine for the 2023 season as the replacement for Fernando Alonso, who recently signed a multi-year contract with Aston Martin. Alpine and F1 both posted an update on their Twitter handles but shortly after that Piastri denied the rumours. Follow Formula 1 Live updates on InsideSport.IN
Piastri later posted online that he has not signed a contract with the team as he wrote, “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. I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”
However, Alpine was left with an empty spot after two-time F1 champion Alonso agreed to make a shock move to Aston Martin. The Spaniard is replacing four-time champion Sebastian Vettel who is resigning from the sport after the end of the 2022 season.
BREAKING: Oscar Piastri will drive for Alpine in 2023!
(The 2021 Formula 2 champion graduates to Formula 1)#F1 @OscarPiastri @AlpineF1Team pic.twitter.com/SIM7FEnwqi
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 2, 2022
Meanwhile, Piastri is a Formula Three and Formula Two winner. Moreover, he won Formula Two in the dominant style in 2021. In 2022 he went home for the year hustling as the group’s reserve driver, yet has been in McLaren’s pool of reserves.
Furthermore, Alpine confirmed Piastri as their second driver who will drive alongside Esteban Ocon next year. The French team even posted a statement on social media on Tuesday afternoon, “After four years as part of the Renault and Alpine family, Reserve Driver Oscar Piastri is promoted to a race seat alongside Esteban Ocon starting from 2023.”
2023 driver line-up confirmed: Esteban Ocon 🤝 Oscar Piastri
After four years as part of the Renault and Alpine family, Reserve Driver Oscar Piastri is promoted to a race seat alongside Esteban Ocon starting from 2023. pic.twitter.com/4Fvy0kaPn7
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) August 2, 2022
Whereas, Alpine group head Otmar Szafnauer said he possibly learned about Alonso’s move to Aston Martin when he read the authority’s official statement. “Yes, the first confirmation I had was the press release,” Otmar said.
“I did ask the question (to Alonso). And I was told: ‘No, no, I haven’t signed anything. So I was a bit surprised. We offered a one plus one deal. And we discussed with Fernando that look if next year at this time you’re performing at the same level, of course, we will take you and that could have carried on. But I think he wanted more certainty independent of performance,” Otmar concluded.
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