Anthony was sufficiently wound up about the situation at McLaren that he felt the need to express his thoughts to this writer.
The gist of it was that he and his son were frustrated by a lack of information from McLaren about the future. Naturally, Hamilton Sr felt that his son was more than ready for F1, and he wanted McLaren to promote him to a race seat. If they don’t, Anthony suggested, we’ll go somewhere else.
Just a few weeks later, McLaren announced that Hamilton was indeed going straight into an F1 seat for 2007, alongside Fernando Alonso.
Sixteen years on and history is repeating itself. Once again the man of the moment and his management appear to have become frustrated with the team that has been supporting his career. And oddly enough, Alonso and McLaren again figure in the story.
The big difference is that this time the young man in a hurry really has skipped off and left his mentors in the lurch, having determined that the grass is greener elsewhere.
The saga of Oscar Piastri and Alpine is far from over, and it remains to be seen how it plays out legally.
However, both parties have made their positions clear. Alpine is convinced that it has a contractual hold on the youngster for 2023, while Piastri and his management believe that they were free to sign for McLaren.
Oscar Piastri, Reserve Driver, Alpine F1 Team arrives into the paddock
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
To recap, it was in January 2020 that Piastri was announced as a member of what was then the Renault Driver Academy. His signing was a result of his win in the Eurocup series, as the opportunity to be affiliated with the F1 team was one of the prizes, should the driver want it.
Mark Webber helped to seal the deal, but it was only several weeks later that the former Red Bull driver was publicly confirmed as Piastri’s manager in a press release from his company, JAM Sports Management.
JAM is not a one-man band. Webber works with a team led by his wife Ann, who did so much to further his own career, and a CEO in the form of Aussie entrepreneur Jason Allen. JAM also looks after Formula E racer Mitch Evans, javelin world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber, and several rising stars from two-wheeled motorsport.
The company website notes that “our approach to business is based on simple core values; integrity, honesty, loyalty, respect, responsibility and commitment”.
Through 2020 and 2021, Renault and then Alpine supported Piastri to his victories in the FIA F3 and F2…
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