Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has aimed another dig at Oscar Piastri following the Australian’s departure for McLaren.
The French side started the year with Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon as their main drivers, with Formula 2 champion Piastri backing them up as reserve, but that created a dilemma.
While wanting to offer Alonso a new deal, the team was aware that it needed to find a place on the grid for Piastri, so the double world champion was offered another year, while Piastri would prospectively be loaned out to Williams.
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Neither driver was particularly impressed with that arrangement, so Alonso signed with Aston Martin for 2023, and Piastri put pen to paper with McLaren.
Having begun the year with three drivers, Alpine lost two of them within a month in the silliest of silly seasons, and Szafnauer was unhappy with Piastri.
He felt that the 21-year-old had shown a lack of loyalty to the team that had funded his junior career, although his manager and former Red Bull driver, Mark Webber, had previously suggested that Alpine’s investment was much lower than it would have people believe
Alpine failed in their quest to gain compensation from Piastri, as he had signed a binding contract with McLaren to replace Daniel Ricciardo, so the Enstone-based outfit was forced to go in search of another driver.
Pierre Gasly has since signed from AlphaTauri, but Szafnauer has aimed another parting shot at his former driver.
“I think species that collaborate survive,” he told GPFans.
“Species that are selfish perish and that’s true in history. I think that might apply to Formula 1 too, but let’s see what the future brings.
“We had an obligation for Oscar to either put him in our car next year or find him a seat, a loan seat somewhere else, or he became a free agent.”
The Romanian-American confirmed that the Alpine’s destination of choice for the young Australian next season was Williams, with whom Logan Sargeant has now signed to partner Alex Albon next season.
“The original plan was for him to take a seat at Williams,” added Szafnauer.
“Had that happened, he may have had a Williams FP1 [this year].”
