The entire Oscar Piastri contract saga has been ugly. However, it seems as though it is on its way to taking an ugly turn. Piastri, who was an Alpine junior driver and snubbed them for McLaren, has apparently rubbed the French team the wrong way.
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Recently, the Contract Recognition Board ruled in favor of Piastri signing for McLaren. Alpine are now considering drastic measures to never let such an incident repeat again. However, this would have disastrous effects, that would trickle down to the entire motorsports world.
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Laurent Rossi, the CEO of Alpine, said, “If you decide that you’re going to save money every year, by not investing in drivers, and then you just poach them with that money you saved, it’s a different proposition.”
Alpine are now considering shutting down their driver academy altogether. “I’m not sure therefore I want to continue training those drivers, or I’m gonna have to lock them in with a contract that might not be appealing to them.”
He concluded, “We wonder if we’re going to take new drivers, because why would we?”.
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Similar sentiments of discontent have been circulating ever since this contract saga came into the limelight. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has been the most vehement spokesperson for Alpine and all the Constructors.
Toto Wolff fears the Oscar Piastri – Alpine saga will set a very bad “precedent” in Formula 1
Oscar Piastri was successful in wriggling out of his contract with Alpine to sign for McLaren for the 2023 season and beyond. However, Toto Wolff believes that this will lead to a very bad precedent being set within the sport of Formula 1.
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Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team, portrait during the Formula 1 Winter Tests at Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya on February 24, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Xavier Bonilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Wolff said, “What I really stand firm for is that all of us constructors are investing a lot of money in our junior programs.”
He went on to explain, “To know now that a precedent has been set that if you’re clever you can manoeuvre yourself out is something that’s clearly not good for the industry.”
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Do you think it is reasonable on the part of Alpine to consider shutting their junior driver academy in light of the Oscar Piastri debacle?
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