RaceFans Round-up: Alpine could have fought to keep Piastri

In brief

Szafnauer believes Alpine had chance to keep Piastri

Alpine intended to promote Piastri from a reserve driver role to a race seat this year but unbeknown to them he signed a deal to race for McLaren. The FIA’s Contract Recognition Board ruled in McLaren’s favour.

Otmar Szafnauer, who was Alpine’s Formula 1 team principal at the time but dropped by the team earlier this year, thinks more could have been done to hold onto the driver. “There was a CRB test that landed on the side of Oscar and McLaren, but that’s not the only test,” he said in an interview with Peter Windsor.

“Had we tested the contract in the English courts, because it was governed by English law, the outcome could have been much different than the CRB. We performed, Oscar didn’t. From a CRB perspective there was an ‘out’. But from an English law perspective, it could have been different. But the decision was made to not continue the fight and just let it be as it is. And that’s okay, that was a decision that I didn’t make. That was a decision that was made for me.”

Szafnauer said he wishes Piastri well and admitted he “performed well” against Lando Norris in his first season at McLaren this year. “I think to me, next year or the year after will be more telling,” Szafnauer continued.

“You’ve got to give Oscar the year of getting used to the team, the circuits with the car that’s underneath him. I think Lando is exceptional, and you can see that in the comparison. Although everyone says Oscar did a good job, because he did, I think Lando was still quite a way ahead. Not all races, but in total points and some of the head-to-head comparisons.”

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