The British team announced the signing of Oscar Piastri as its new driver for the upcoming 2023 and 2024 Formula 1 seasons after the final resolution of the Contract Recognition Board, which allows the Australian to free himself from his commitments with Alpine after having a agreement with the academy of the French.
After the signing of Fernando Alonso by Aston Martin for the 2023 academic year, the French team was left without a driver to accompany Esteban Ocon, which precipitated the announcement of his reserve, Oscar Piastri, as the second man to occupy a seat in their single-seaters
However, just a few hours later, the young Australian denied that he had signed a contract with Enstone to debut in the highest category of motorsports through his social networks. The Formula 2 winner in 2021 assured that he would not compete in the Grand Circus with the French team, and that hinted that he had a pre-agreement with McLaren that would be revealed when they found a solution for the departure of Daniel Ricciardo.
Those from Woking, before arriving at the Belgian Grand Prix, the first after the summer holidays, announced the termination of the 33-year-old driver’s contract, which left a free steering wheel for 2023 that Oscar Piastri will finally occupy.
However, the resolution of the Contract Recognition Board was still missing, as they met virtually on the Monday morning after the race at Spa-Francorchamps to discuss with lawyers and representatives of both parties, both McLaren and Alpine. After the discussions, the body informed the FIA so that the young Australian could confirm his new career dressed in papaya in the highest category of motorsport.
“I am very excited to make my Formula 1 debut with such a prestigious team as McLaren, and I am very grateful for the opportunity that has been offered to me,” said the Australian. “The team has a long tradition of giving young talent a chance, and I’m looking forward to working hard alongside Lando [Norris] to bring the team to the front of the grid.”
“I am focused on preparing my debut in Formula 1 in 2023 and starting my papaya career,” said the driver.
The director of the English team, Andreas Seidl , also dedicated a few words to his new signing: “The whole team is delighted to welcome Oscar to McLaren for the 2023 Formula 1 season.”
“He has an impressive racing career so far, and we are sure that, together with Lando, he will be able to help us take another step towards our ambitions,” he continued. “We still have important work to do this season that the team remains focused on, before making sure Oscar is integrated as quickly as possible and ready for the challenges ahead. We look forward to preparing for an exciting 2023 season together.”
The head of the McLaren project in racing, Zak Brown , was one of those who wanted to have the Australian in his ranks: “Oscar is one of the promising talents who come through the lower categories of Formula 1 and we are delighted to see him join the team for 2023.
“Winning both F3 and F2 in consecutive seasons as a rookie is a real achievement, and a testament to his talent in single-seater racing,” he acknowledged. “With Lando and Oscar we have a young line-up with huge potential, which puts us in a good position to achieve our ambitions. Oscar is an exciting addition to the McLaren family, and we look forward to seeing him grow with our Formula 1 team.”
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