— With 90 percent certainty, we will go to the higher court, says stable manager Otmar Szafnauer to news agency Reuters website.
Alpine has continued to claim that there is an agreement between Piastri and the stable. According to Szafnauer, Piastri signed a main contract last November, which would have seen him commit to making his Formula 1 debut for them in 2023.
Szafnauer also confirms that he has contacted Formula 1’s Contractual Affairs Department (CRB).
— If the CRB says “your contract is only valid with Alpine”, and he at the same time says “okay, but I will never drive for them, I’ll just refrain from racing for a year”, then you have to go to the higher court for compensation, he says according to Reuters.
According to The Guardian Alpine has invested a lot of money in preparing Piastri for F1. Among other things, by letting him drive thousands of kilometers in last year’s car.
Last week, Alpine announced that Oscar Piastri, 21, will be next year’s replacement for Fernando Alonso, who has moved to Aston Martin.
Just a couple of hours later, the Australian, who won the Formula 2 championship last year, denied Alpine’s statement on Twitter.
“I understand that Alpine, without my agreement, went out with a press release this afternoon that I will drive for them next year. That is not true and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not drive for Alpine next year,” wrote Piastri.