Former Alpine team boss, Otmar Szafnauer, recently shed light on the Oscar Piastri saga. Piastri’s move to McLaren caused Szafnauer a great deal of trouble. Szafnauer’s allegations cast a new light on the chaotic state of affairs within Alpine.
A Disappointment for Alpine
The drama surrounding Piastri unfolded in August 2022, when Alpine announced Piastri as Fernando Alonso’s replacement without hesitation. What made this announcement particularly remarkable was the absence of a quote from Piastri himself. Subsequently, the Australian shared a shocking statement on social media that he would not be racing for Alpine in 2023. This led to a legal battle, with the Contract Recognition Board ultimately ruling in favor of McLaren. The lack of competence within Alpine was painfully exposed.
The Scapegoat
Szafnauer felt the pressure of the situation intensely. He claims that he was made a scapegoat for a problem that occurred before his appointment. “I did not have control over the entire team as promised,” he said in the High Performance Podcast. “The HR department did not report to me, and neither did finance, communication, and marketing. That’s problematic.”
Szafnauer Denies Involvement in Piastri’s Contractual Errors
Szafnauer has emphasized that he had nothing to do with the errors surrounding Oscar Piastri‘s contract. “That mistake was made in November, while I only started in March. The contract was never signed and the necessary documents were not correctly submitted.” The documents submitted by Alpine in 2022 were not legally valid, which enabled McLaren to enlist Piastri. This led to the revelation that the contract named ‘2020/2023 Terms Sheet’ was never signed by both parties.
Szafnauer’s Defense
Despite the mismanagement, Szafnauer is critical of Piastri and Zak Brown. “We did everything we had to do for the contractual agreements that were never signed. Had this played out in an English court, we might have won.” He does not place the blame entirely on Piastri, but also points to Alpine’s communication department that has cast him in a bad light.
The Future of Alpine
After the tumultuous departure of Szafnauer during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, the situation at Alpine has only become more unclear. New faces such as Bruno Famin and Laurent Rossie have taken over the leadership, but the organization seems to be in a state of constant change. Renault recently announced it will stop producing Formula 1 engines at the end of the next season, which further pressures the team’s future.
