Piastri and his manager Mark Webber are understood to have agreed a deal to go to McLaren when it appeared that Alpine’s only choice was to place the youngster at Williams for a year.
Alpine’s plan had been to keep Fernando Alonso on board for one more season before taking Piastri, but the Spaniard’s unexpected departure has moved the goalposts and the Alpine seat is available after all.
It’s not year clear whether Piastri will push on with the McLaren deal or accept that he has an obligation to drive for Alpine.
“I’m not privy to whatever pre-arrangements he has with McLaren, if any at all,” Szafnauer said when asked by Motorsport.com about Piastri’s intentions.
“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.
“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 is taken up, for ’24. So I don’t know what he’s done with McLaren. Like I said, I’m not privy to that.”
Oscar Piastri, Reserve Driver, Alpine F1 Team
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
Asked if Piastri or his management have indicated that he doesn’t intend to race for Alpine Szafnauer said: “Oscar and his camp are considering their options, whatever that means.”
Szafnauer also indicated that he has had little contact with Webber since the Alonso news broke.
“This just happened on Monday. So it’s now Tuesday, his manager is in Australia, there’s a bit of a time difference.
“But I’ve been trying to get hold of Mark and wrote some text messages and some emails to him, as well. So give us a bit of time. Oscar is our number one preferred candidate. And that’s what we’re going to do.”
Regarding Piastri’s apparent reluctance to be placed at Williams, Szafnauer said: “The contractual terms, those details we don’t like to disclose, but it was on the team’s side to say, not on the…
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