Oscar Piastri hearing starts over McLaren, Alpine contracts

• Sports

FIA’s hearing over Piastri’s contract catch-22 has begun on Monday, as Alpine and McLaren appeared to have set off their stages of a legal battle on who could snatch up the reigning F2 champion Oscar Piastri. In the matter of the fact, latest dispute over Piastri’s contract situation came against the backdrop of a remark from Alpine F1 team during Summer break that said the 22-year-old would join Alpine from next season as a replacement to Fernando Alonso.

Nonetheless, in what could be contemplated as a surprising crack in the event, just a day after Alpine’s statement, Piastri said in a tweet that he would not be racing for Alpine F1 team next year. On top of that, a McLaren statement came in as a twist in the tail that said the Alpine reserve driver had signed off a contract to race for McLaren F1 team from 2023.

Followed by the McLaren statement, Alpine F1 team had told in a press briefing that Piastri still had a year and a half left at his contract in Alpine and could not join McLaren by 2023.

Hearing over Piastri contract situation begins

Nevertheless, as a hearing takes place in FIA’s contract recognition board that was set up back in the 1992s in order to settle a legal tussle between Jordan and Benetton over Michael Schumacher, Piastri alongside his manager Mark Webber said before the start-off of the trial that they have a valid contract with McLaren for next season.

Aside from that, McLaren has been facing off a dire situation after agreeing to a mutual divorce with Ricciardo by end-2022. While as the British F1 team have been looking for a substitute of the Aussie, Piastri appears to be the most suitable candidate for the position.