Oscar Piastri can now look back on Alpine saga with ‘some laughs’

Oscar Piastri can reflect on the Alpine and McLaren tug of war for his services more humorously now, certainly far more than he could at the time.

In a contract dispute which grabbed headlines and ultimately went to the Contract Recognition Board, Piastri said he had his “reasons” for that Alpine rejection, and instead signing on the dotted line for McLaren.

Oscar Piastri clear to have ‘some laughs’ about Alpine saga

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Piastri’s junior record made him the hottest prospect around at the time, having won the Formula Renault Eurocup, Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in consecutive seasons.

Nonetheless, Piastri was unable to secure an F1 seat for 2022. Instead, he served as Alpine reserve, and when Fernando Alonso announced his upcoming move to Aston Martin, Alpine issued a press release, announcing Piastri as his replacement.

Only, Piastri would respond with the following, now iconic, tweet.

“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.”

Piastri instead signed with McLaren, but as Alpine insisted that their contract with the Australian driver was valid, this matter went before the CRB. It ruled in McLaren’s favour, and Piastri has since won nine grands prix with the team. He led the Drivers’ Championship for large parts of the 2025 season.

Speaking via Formula 1’s ‘Off The Grid’ series, Piastri opened up on how time has provided the opportunity to look back on that Alpine saga in a less ominous light.

“There was obviously a lot of noise around what was going on,” he said.

“I kind of knew that it was going to be a pretty big story.

“There were reasons for doing that, it wasn’t just me going out of my way to announce to the world that I’m not racing.

“I mean, I certainly look back on it now with some laughs. Definitely at the time, it wasn’t so funny.

“It obviously went to the CRB. Things were in my favour, but that was another pretty tense moment.”

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But, Piastri got what he wanted, a McLaren seat, which became one of the most coveted in the sport.

“That was an incredible moment,” he said of signing with McLaren, “but then it also kind of hits you that everything you’ve done previously, almost doesn’t matter now.

“There was pressure from everything that happened, then also the pressure from, well, now you’re sat on the grid next to Lewis Hamilton.

“It’s hard to kind of feel that you fit in at that point.”

Piastri has since established himself as one of the F1 grid’s top talents. He signed a new McLaren contract in March 2025, keeping him with McLaren until at least the end of 2028.

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