Following Fernando Alonso’s surprising decision to sign for Aston Martin for the next season, Alpine released a statement shortly afterwards saying that Piastri would become Ocon ‘s teammate.
But Piastri himself quickly came out to deny it, posting on social networks that the team had made the announcement without his consent.
Speaking to the official F1 website after it was confirmed that he would join McLaren in 2023, Piastri expressed disappointment at the time Alpine made his failed promotion public.
“My decision [to join McLaren] was made well before [Alonso’s departure], which made Alpine’s announcement probably more confusing and upsetting because we had told the team that it was not going to continue,” he said.
“It was quite upsetting as the ad was false and it also denied me the chance to say a proper goodbye to everyone at Enstone.”
“I had been with the team for a little over two and a half years, and for the rest of the team to find out that I was leaving in this way was very upsetting.”
“I haven’t had a chance to say goodbye yet and it’s something I want to do to show my gratitude to all the men and women who work at Enstone.”
Oscar Piastri also revealed how uncomfortable it was, because he insists that he had already informed Alpine, to be told during a session in the simulator that he was going to be announced as the starter.
Team principal Otmar Szafnauer revealed last weekend that Piastri had “smiled and said thanks” on receiving the news.
Reflecting on that moment, Piastri said, “It was a strange and honestly upsetting episode.”
“It was done publicly in front of some members of the team who were oblivious to the situation and I didn’t want to put on a show in front of them.”
“When we were already in private, I told Otmar what our position was and what he had been told several times before. That announcement was very surprising to me.”
He added: “It was the biggest moment of my career and probably my life so far. Being falsely advertised was something that my agent and I felt we needed to correct and there were also potential legal implications if we didn’t deny the ad.”
“It was not intended to be stinging or in any way to reveal anything other than the facts. The last line was quite strong, but the CRB (Contract Recognition Board) ruling shows that it was a pure fact.”
Piastri had been asking Alpine for a firm deal for quite some time, but says the team’s reluctance to commit when he became a free agent allowed McLaren’s option to progress.
“Faced with a lack of clarity around my future and ultimately a breakdown in confidence, I felt that a very attractive offer and the positive treatment I had had with McLaren so far were all the reasons why I felt that team It was where I would be best for the future,” he said.
“The CRB’s ruling has confirmed that he was out of contract for the 2023 season with Alpine.”
“I was free to choose my destiny, and I felt that McLaren was a great opportunity. They were very direct and showed a lot of desire and enthusiasm to sign me. To be completely honest, there was a huge lack of clarity around my future in the Alpine team. .
“They said publicly that they wanted to stick with Fernando for at least another year or two. I respect that. But after spending the year as a substitute, my hopes were firmly pinned on a seat at Alpine and because of the lack of clarity and, like him, It happened to Fernando, a bit of a strange feeling in the negotiations, it didn’t seem like staying was the right decision for me.”
