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Considered a great talent: Oscar Piastri
Photo:
NACHO DOCE / REUTERS
The highly sought-after top talent Oscar Piastri will drive for McLaren in Formula 1 from next year.
The competent arbitral tribunal for contract issues (CRB) ruled on Friday that the Australian's contract with the traditional English team is valid.
Piastri had not entered into any other binding commitments.
Immediately after the CRB's message, the teams involved in the dispute reacted.
McLaren announced that Piastri had signed a “multi-year contract”, with the Formula 2 champion becoming the team-mate of Briton Lando Norris from next year.
Alpine, the Renault works team, had trained Piastri for years, wanted to promote him to regular driver next year and insisted on a valid contract.
Alpine even released a statement that Piastri would be driving for the team next season.
Piastri, however, stated that he was not committed to Alpine.
Piastri is considered a high-flyer
Because neither party wanted to back down, the arbitral tribunal had to decide, and did so in favor of McLaren.
On Friday, Alpine now accept the verdict, "we consider the matter closed and will announce our driver pairing for 2023 in due course".
The team is looking for a successor for Fernando Alonso and colleagues for Esteban Ocon.
In addition to Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), Mick Schumacher, who has not yet received a contract with Haas for 2023, is also being traded.
Piastri is considered a great talent.
Winner of the Formula Renault European Cup in 2019, in 2020 he became an instant Formula 3 champion as a rookie, and in 2021 he won the Formula 2 title. »I am very excited to make my Formula 1 debut for such a renowned team as McLaren and I am very grateful for the opportunity that was offered to me«, declared Piastri after the verdict.
