Otmar Szafnauer has confirmed in Zandvoort that Alpine is evaluating the option of releasing Oscar Piastri after Zandvoort. The skipper of the French team has also explained how the whole ‘Piastri case’ has been and the famous moment of the simulator.
What was given is over. Oscar Piastri’s soap opera has come to an end with the resolution of the Contract Recognition Board (CRB) in favor of McLaren. the australian will be able to compete with the Woking team in 2023 and Alpine will have to find a new partner for Esteban Ocon after announcing Piastri as their driver for next year.
However, there is a detail to be resolved. Oscar Piastri remains a reserve and simulator pilot for Alpine, a contract that, according to events, expires at the end of this season. For now, Piastri continues to work with the team in Estone this weekend, but in Alpine they value release your pilot past the Dutch GP.
“There was no such supposed group of people. It was not strange, he smiled and said thank you »
With Piastri associated with McLaren, one of Alpine’s direct rivals, the Australian driver’s participation in the day-to-day running of the French team makes no sense, especially since Alpine would be exposing its technical progress to a rival driver. As a result of this situation, the possibility that Piastri is a free agent behind Zandvoort is very big.
Own Otmar Szafnauerresponsible for Alpine, has recognized this: «is with us this weekend, doing the work in the simulator. This Grand Prix will continue like this. Only a couple of days left, today and tomorrow. On Monday we will meet with him and assess how we are progressing. We will decide on Monday. I don’t want to think about that here, because there are other considerations to take into account.
Loading tweet…
1565687337832652800
Three is not a crowd, Szafnauer’s answer
Regardless of when the contractual relationship between Alpine and Piastri may end, Szafnauer wanted to respond to the one who is still his pilot. On the famous simulator moment in which he informed Piastri of his status as regular driver for 2023, Otmar has reaffirmed his position: «” Oscar was in the simulator. When his session ended, I went and communicated the announcement to congratulate him. He smiled and said thank you».
In fact, Szafnauer has rejected the version that Piastri has told about this moment and about the supposed compromised situation before other members of the team: «Was there a group of people there? i can say no. It was me and the simulator technician in that room. We were three in the roomSo it wasn’t a group of people. It wasn’t strange, he smiled and said thank you.”
The CRB Hearing
The CRB hearing has been another key point in the entire Piastri case, although in this case Otmar Szafnauer does not seem to have a different version than that of his pilot: «When entering the hearing he did not know all the arguments of the other party. Thereafter, it is clear that there were good arguments on both sides. The decision took four days, as you all know.
“As I left the audience, I thought the chances were about 50/50. However, it was not. It turned out that they didn’t rule in our favor, so I would have accepted the result anyway »added Szafnauer, inclined to settle this issue, although he continues to add fuel to the fire.
Font: motorsport.com
/
Photos: Alpine F1