August 03, (THEWILL) – In a dramatic turn of events, Oscar Piastri has publicly denied that he agreed to drive for Alpine in 2023 alongside Esteban Ocon, stating unequivocally: “I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”
This refutation came within hours of Alpine announcing that Piastri had been “promoted” and would take “Fernando Alonso’s seat from next year onwards.” The Australian swiftly came out to debunk the allegation on social media.
He posted: “I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong, and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”
The Piastri remark is the most recent development in a story that is completely upending the F1 paddock. The news that Fernando Alonso will be joining Aston Martin in 2023 was revealed on Tuesday, and many speculated that this was a result of Alpine bringing in Piastri to take Ocon’s place.
Alpine’s head coach, Otmar Szafnauer, stated earlier today that the French squad was hoping to keep Alonso for at least another season and that yesterday’s revelation came as a complete shock. Meanwhile, Piastri’s management is targeting Daniel Ricciardo’s seat at McLaren for their Australian client and not Alonso’s place at Alpine.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
