Oscar Piastri denies he is Fernando Alonso's replacement at Alpine for the 2023 Formula One season
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ByEurosport
Updated 02/08/2022 at 18:42 GMT
Alpine reported that highly-rated 21-year-old Oscar Piastri will race for them next season alongside Esteban Ocon following the shock departure of Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin. However, the 2020 Formula Three champion and 2021 Formula Two champion has denied that an agreement has been reached.
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Oscar Piastri has denied that he is the replacement driver for Fernando Alonso at Alpine for the 2023 Formula One season .
Alpine were left with a vacant spot after two-time world champion Alonso agreed to make a shock move to Aston Martin. The Spaniard is replacing four-time champion Sebastian Vettel who is retiring from the sport at the end of 2022.
Piastri was confirmed by Alpine as being Esteban Ocon's new team-mate next year.
Alpine said in a statement on social media on Tuesday afternoon: "After four years as part of the Renault and Alpine family, Reserve Driver Oscar Piastri is promoted to a race seat alongside Esteban Ocon starting from 2023."
However, Piastri later posted online to say he has not signed a contract with Alpine.
He wrote: "I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year.
"This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year."
Piastri is a Formula Three and Formula Two champion. He won Formula Two in dominant fashion in 2021. In 2022 he took a year off racing as the team's reserve driver, but has been in McLaren's pool of reserves.
Alpine believe Piastri has a contractual obligation to drive for them next year.
Alpine currently sit fourth in the constructors' standings; four points ahead of rivals McLaren.
Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer said he only found out about Alonso's move to Aston Martin when he read the official press release.
"Yes, the first confirmation I had was the press release," he told reporters.
"I did ask the question (to Alonso). And I was told: 'No, no, I haven't signed anything'. So I was a bit surprised.
"We offered a one plus one deal. And we discussed with Fernando that: 'look, if next year at this time you're performing at the same level, of course, we will take you and that could have carried on'. But I think he wanted more certainty independent of performance."
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