Oscar Piastri is at the center of the media news due to the dispute between Alpine and McLaren for having their services in the 2023 Formula 1 season . And it is that both teams think they have a valid contract with the Australian.
The French team announced that the young driver would be the replacement for Fernando Alonso after his departure to Aston Martin, but rumors about which team he would end up with began when Piastri himself denied his agreement with Enstone.
In a post on his social media, the Melbourne driver said: “I understand that, without my permission, Alpine have put out a press release in the late afternoon saying that I will be driving for them next year. That is a mistake. and I haven’t signed a contract with Alpine for 2023, I’m not driving for them next season.”
Apparently, the young driver of 21 years has an agreement with McLaren to be the partner of Lando Norris and replace his compatriot, Daniel Ricciardo. However, Alpine remains firm and continues to believe that it has a contract with the Australian, but it will be the Formula 1 governance structure, through the Contract Recognition Board [CRB], who will resolve the legal battle.
Some close sources believe that the situation should move forward when the independent body meets next Monday, although it is not clear when the CRB will make a decision, and much will depend on the details of the contracts.
The institution is made up of a selection of lawyers who meet to analyze the contracts of the Great Circus that are in force, and their task is, after disputes between the teams or drivers, to evaluate whether the agreements are valid or not. In this case, he will have to investigate if Alpine has a binding commitment with Piastri or if, instead, it is McLaren who has the right to add him to their ranks.
Once the CRB has made the decision and informed the teams, they will send the documentation to the FIA so that they can issue the super license to the Australian driver.
The body was created as a result of the contractual fight that arose after Benetton snatched Michael Schumacher from Jordan’s hands, after his sensational debut at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix. Its objective is to prevent these disputes from happening by the civil courts, with long and costly processes.
As part of the commitment of each team to be in Formula 1 through the Agreement of Concord, they will abide by any decision of the CRB. Piastri remains Alpine’s official reserve driver and even carried out the work in the Enstone simulator ahead of the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix.
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