Formula 1: Alpine promotes Piastri against his will to succeed Alonso

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Oscar Piastri won the Formula 2 championship last year

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NACHO DOCE / REUTERS

Contrary to the announcement made by the Alpine team, top talent Oscar Piastri does not want to succeed Fernando Alonso for the Formula 1 racing team in the coming season.

»I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023.

I won't be driving for Alpine next year," the Australian wrote on Twitter on Tuesday evening.

Shortly before, the team had announced that the 21-year-old would be promoted from reserve driver to regular driver next season.

Piastri will then start alongside Frenchman Esteban Ocon, it said.

"That's wrong," Piastri countered.

The message had not been agreed with him, he assured.

Piastri is said to be in talks with McLaren instead and could replace his compatriot Daniel Ricciardo (33) there.

Alpine was apparently surprised by the news on Monday that Spaniard Alonso was moving to rival Aston Martin for the new season.

There, the 41-year-old replaces the 35-year-old German Sebastian Vettel, who wants to end his Formula 1 career after this season.

Alpine had actually wanted to extend the expiring contract with Alonso, reservist Piastri was supposed to do an apprenticeship with Williams.

Piastri is considered a young racing driver with great prospects.

In 2020 he triumphed in Formula 3, the following year he secured the title in Formula 2 - a double blow that only today's Formula 1 stars Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and George Russell (Mercedes) had previously managed.

Alpine plans further with Piastri

"Oscar is a radiant and rare talent," Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer was quoted as saying in the first press release.

On Tuesday morning, the American said in a media round: "We have a valid contract with him (Piastri; ed.) for 2023 and, if an option is exercised, for 2024."

Even after Piastri's rejection, Alpine still sees itself in the right.

"We believe that our message is legally correct, but we have nothing more to say about it," the BBC quoted a spokesman for the racing team as saying.

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