Oscar Piastri joined the Renault Academy (now Alpine) in January 2020, following his victory in the Formula Euro Cup Championship the previous year. The French team supported him through wins in F3 and F2, eventually promoting him to a reserve role in F1 in 2022. Reflecting on this period, Piastri recalled how Alpine was once a big part of his life.
In a Prema Racing YouTube video, Piastri revealed that winning the 2019 Formula Renault Euro Cup secured a place in the Alpine Academy. He fought hard for this opportunity, recognizing that the victory was crucial for his path to F1, as the Enstone-based squad supported him significantly afterward.
Talking about the Academy, he said, “They’ve been great. They’ve given me three F1 tests which is probably more than I ever thought I’d ever get in my lifetime.
“They’ve been helping out financially with my racing as well but pretty much my whole life at the moment is based around being in the academy,” he added.
Piastri shared that he used to live just 20 minutes from Alpine’s base. He regularly used their gym, making the team a significant part of his life outside of racing as well. “It was a really big part of my life in general, not just the racing life, but my whole life,” the Melbourne-born driver added.
Unfortunately, there was no fairytale ending, as he didn’t end up making his debut for Alpine in F1. He snubbed the French stable and made a controversial move to McLaren in 2022.
Piastri’s Alpine-McLaren contract saga
In 2022, while Piastri was Alpine’s reserve driver, Fernando Alonso announced he would leave for Aston Martin in 2023. The French team quickly announced Piastri as Alonso’s replacement, but the Aussie had other plans.
Piastri took to X (formerly Twitter) to declare he would not drive for Alpine. Within weeks, a move to McLaren was confirmed instead, infuriating Alpine, who took the dispute to court. The Contract Recognition Board (CRB) ruled against Alpine, resulting in the team paying $715k in legal fees and compensation to McLaren.
I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 has put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.
— Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) August 2, 2022
Since then, Alpine has struggled, falling in the performance index. Meanwhile, Piastri joined McLaren, a team on the rise, and as of 2024, he is driving the fastest car on the grid. He has become a two-time race winner and is widely regarded as a future World champion.
