Oscar Piastri thanks "shellshocked" Alpine after McLaren move confirmed

Oscar Piastri

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Piastri thanks "shellshocked" Alpine after McLaren move confirmed

Piastri had been accused of lacking integrity

Ewan Gale

Friday 2 September 2022 17:42

Oscar Piastri has thanked a "shellshocked" Alpine for its contribution to his career after being announced as a McLaren driver for next season despite being on the receiving end of a number of broadsides from his current team.

The Australian had been in the middle of a battle for his services after denying the promotion announced by the French manufacturer following Fernando Alonso's move to Aston Martin.

Alpine's reserve driver had instead signed a contract with McLaren - now revealed to have been dated July 4 - and after a month of dispute, it was the Woking-based outfit that emerged the victor at the Contract Recognition Board's hearing.

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During the process, Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer had levelled character swipes at Piastri, accusing the reigning F2 champion of a lack of integrity.

But putting differences aside, Piastri thanked his current colleagues for their assistance in achieving his F1 dream during a video posted to social media platforms.

"I am super excited to be joining the grid and with such a prestigious team like McLaren," said Piastri.

"I have no doubt it is a great place to start my career.

"It has been a long road up to this point, I have been racing for 12 years and this was my dream from the very beginning so I just wanted to thank everybody that has supported me throughout my journey, including my colleagues at Alpine for the past few years.

"Also my family, in particular, who have made a significant contribution to my career from the very beginning.

"I can't wait to be representing Papaya. I will be doing my best to drive as quickly as possible and getting some good results.

"Looking forward to working with the team and working alongside Lando."

Following the announcement, and speaking during the second practice session for the Dutch GP at Zandvoort, Sky Sports F1 pit reporter Ted Kravitz described Alpine as being "shellshocked" by the CRB's decision.