McLaren have won the Oscar Piastri battle but could Alpine win the war? That is one of the theories after a wild transfer saga ended on Friday, as Sky Sports delves into the talking points from the Contract Recognition Board’s ruling…
By Matt Morlidge at Zandvoort
Last Updated: 02/09/22 7:50pm
Why McLaren swooped for Piastri
McLaren’s move to replace Daniel Ricciardo with Oscar Piastri made perfect sense to a team desperate to return to winning ways for two key reasons.
One, it is incredibly rare for a young driver with Piastri’s resume to be available on the market.
And two, the move – from their view at least – significantly weakens their direct rival, potentially for many years to come.
That Alpine were embarrassed somewhat through this process and in the Contract Recognition Board’s verdict, must be more than a little pleasing, too.
Piastri has been regarded as motorsport’s most talented youngster for some time. Piastri claimed three single-seater championships in a row from 2019, while his feat of back-to-back Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles is one only achieved before by Charles Leclerc and George Russell. But while Leclerc and Russell immediately landed seats in F1 after their triumphs, Piastri had to settle for being Alpine’s reserve driver in 2022.
“The way I got to know him so far, we’ve got to know him, we’re convinced about his talent and about his potential,” team boss Andreas Seidl told Sky Sports F1 about Piastri.
“He’s young, he’s full of energy, he has the right amount of self-confidence but at the same time he’s very humble and is aware of how big the challenge is for him next year.
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McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl talks to Sky Sports following the announcement that Oscar Piastri will drive for McLaren in 2023
“I think we’re a team that’s shown in the past that we can handle very well with young guys coming into the sport, therefore I’m looking forward to getting going with him next year.”
When it became clear that Ricciardo was not taking the leap in the 2022 car – in fact, he has been even less competitive compared to Lando Norris – after his struggles in his rookie season, McLaren had few choices but to explore the market.
In Piastri they get, on paper at least, an ideal long-term solution.
How did Alpine let their prized asset go?
Alpine – minus a three-par statement – have not given any media reaction to the decision yet, with Otmar Szafnaeur due to face questions in a team principals’ press conference on Saturday morning.
There are many things to understand from the French team’s side.
The failure on Piastri’s contract has to be explained first and foremost, with Alpine having gone from being exceedingly confident about a watertight contract to a team who were unanimously ruled against in a contract hearing.
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Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater explains the Alpine errors that led to them losing their contract battle against McLaren over Piastri
In a further damning revelation, Sky Sports News also understands key pieces of contractual paperwork were unsigned by Piastri.
McLaren have faced criticism from some for snatching Piastri, with some teams thought to be fearful of investing in young drivers moving forward now that Alpine have lost the shining light of their academy.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s response was quite simple on Friday night. If you want to keep drivers, make sure they have got a contract.
This was a very public defeat, and bitter pill to swallow for Alpine.
But could Alpine actually ‘benefit’ with Gasly signing?
McLaren have won the battle over Piastri, but there is certainly still an argument that Alpine could win the war, with the team now setting their sights on Pierre Gasly.
While Gasly does not have as dominant a junior resume as Piastri, he has one thing the Australian does not and that is F1 experience and success. Alpine know what they will be getting and that is a proven, mega-talented – and motivated after his troubled Red Bull spell – driver.
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Former world champion Jenson Button believes Piastri should not make enemies so early in his F1 career amid a contract dispute between Apline and McLaren
“It has given them the opportunity for another great driver in their team who has a lot more experience than Piastri and is a better fit for them right now,” said Sky Sports F1’s Jenson Button.
“Sometimes it doesn’t go your way but you benefit out of it and I think Alpine might do next year.”
Swapping AlphaTauri for Alpine would represent an upgrade for Gasly, too.
Another option for Alpine is Mick Schumacher, who Esteban Ocon has touted for the job. Ricciardo, meanwhile, appears to be a long shot…
What now for Ricciardo? Button: Williams would be perfect!
Just as Ricciardo thought he was out of the McLaren news cycle, the revelation that McLaren had agreed a contract with Piastri at the beginning of July – and nine days before Ricciardo posted a social media statement insisting he was staying – cannot have been a nice feeling for the Australian, shrug it off like he might.
Ricciardo admitted to the media on Thursday that he believed Alpine were leaning towards Gasly, while he also reaffirmed he was considering a sabbatical in 2023. He even, surprisingly, mooted being a reserve driver to the top teams.
If he was to remain, his last two options appear to be at Haas and Williams, who Button has given his good friend Ricciardo the pitch for.
Button is a former Williams driver and current senior advisor, and said: “I obviously work with Williams and I know what they have coming and what has changed over the last few years with the team.
“So it’s a really exciting prospect, working with a team in developing a car around you the way you like to drive it.
“I’m one of those people, like Daniel, that wants a car that suits my style. So it would be a perfect scenario.”