Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer has accused Oscar Piastri of lack of integrity and said he has backtracked on his word by trying to race for McLaren.
Piastri is in a legal dispute between McLaren and Alpine, both of which will visit the FIA’s contract recognition panel next week to see which of them has a valid contract for 2023.
McLaren hopes Piastri will replace outgoing Daniel Ricciardo but Alpine claims over summer break he will replace Fernando Alonso, something Piastri denied in a famous statement on Twitter.
Piastri is a member of the Alpine academy and the French manufacturer has carried out an extensive testing program at great expense to prepare him for F1.
Szafnauer made clear his feelings about Piastri’s situation ahead of Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
“My wish for Oscar is that he has a little more integrity,” Szafnauer told Sky Sports on Friday.
“He also signed some paperwork in November and we did everything at the end of the negotiations to prepare him for Formula 1 and to end his negotiations to be the driver for us or choose a seat where we will place him for the next three years.
“I just wish Oscar would remember what he signed in November, what he signed.”
Most F1 think McLaren’s contract with Piastri will stay in place next year.
Assuming that’s the case, Ricciardo appears to be a front-runner for Alpine, the team he raced in 2019 and 2020 when it was called Renault.
Although Alpine will wait for Piastri’s future to be resolved before starting negotiations elsewhere, Szafnauer hinted his interest in the eight-time race winner.
“The team is very appreciative of Daniel and his time here. We haven’t had those strategic discussions yet but all the people I asked, the engineering team, they really appreciate the technique. his ability as a driver and a driving force behind the team.”
