Oscar Piastri recalls leaving Alpine.

      In an interview with Off The Grid, Oscar Piastri recalled the difficult situation of his split from the Alpine team in 2022, which was only resolved by the Contract Recognition Board.

      As a member of the Renault/Alpine junior program, Piastri won championship titles in the Renault Eurocup, and then on his first attempts in Formula 3 and Formula 2 — and was invited to Alpine's Formula 1 team, but only as a reserve driver — and in 2022 for the first time in his career he watched events from the sidelines.

      Left without a seat, Oscar signed a contract with McLaren, which immediately offered him a race seat, but before that was announced Alpine released a press statement asserting that in 2023 Piastri would be their team's lead driver.

      In response Oscar posted an emotional denial on social media: “Without my consent Alpine F1 issued a press release saying that I would be racing for them next year. This is not true — I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be racing for Alpine next year.”

      The disputed matter was referred to the Contract Recognition Board, which established that by that time a contract with McLaren had already been signed, and the Board found no grounds to block the move.

      Oscar Piastri: “Missing a season was very difficult. A driver needs to be racing. Yes, I was able to watch from the sidelines, get used to the flow of a weekend, to working with the press and sponsors, to feel the rhythm of the season. I learned a lot, but I was really worried that I couldn't compete on track. I've always done everything I could, always achieved results, and was confident I'd get my chance.

      Yes, I remember that post. It was immediately clear the story would be big, but I had my reasons. I didn't announce to the world that I wouldn't be racing for Alpine without cause. I look back on it now with a smile, but at the time it wasn't funny at all. In the end it went to the Contract Recognition Board, which decided everything in my favor, but the situation was very tense.”