Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has said Oscar Piastri has contractual obligations to the team, but is not privy to rumoured discussions he has had with McLaren.
It was reported in July that Piastri’s manager, Mark Webber has been looking into the possibility of potentially taking on Daniel Ricciardo’s seat at McLaren next season, rather than accept a potential drive at Williams, should Fernando Alonso carry on with Alpine.
But Monday saw the bombshell news that Alonso will be leaving for Aston Martin next season, leaving current Alpine reserve Piastri with the opportunity to take the now-vacant seat with the team.
Szafnauer confirmed that current Formula 2 champion Piastri is their “number one preferred candidate” to replace Alonso, and he has been trying to get in contact with Webber surrounding the Australian’s future, though the team principal has called for calm and to give the team time to have discussions.
The team has been offering him extended test running in their 2021 car to prime him for a drive next season, and Szafnauer said this arrangement and other facets of his deal mean he will be contractually obliged to race for Alpine in 2023, if he is formally offered the seat.
“I’m not privy to whatever pre-arrangements he has with McLaren, if any at all,” Szafnauer told reporters on Tuesday, quoted by Autosport.
“But I hear the same rumours that you do in the pitlane. But what I do know is that he does have contractual obligations to us. And we do to him. And we’ve been honouring those obligations all year.
“And those obligations, last through ’23, and possibly in ’24, if some options are taken up.
We wish Fernando the best for his future in Formula 1. Fernando has always been, and always will be, part of the Renault and Alpine family and we’re proud and privileged to have shared so many on-track moments together. pic.twitter.com/hyZOVdOKHb
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) August 1, 2022
“And our obligations to him this year was to be a reserve driver, to also put him in last year’s car for a significant amount of time. We’re well over half that programme of 5000 kilometres, which isn’t insignificant, in last year’s car, in preparation for a race next year.
“Also FP1s, simulation work, and we’ve been performing those obligations on both sides. So he’s been performing, we’ve been performing.
“So therefore we do have a legal contract with him into the future for ’23. And if an option…
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