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The Alpine Formula 1 team has stated that it considers the saga surrounding Oscar Piastri to be closed following the decision of the Contract Recognition Board.
An independent body external to the sport, the CRB announced on Friday that McLaren held a valid contract with the Piastri for 2023.
Alpine and McLaren both laid claim to the 21-year-old for next season, the former citing a contract signed in November last year. It’s understood Piastri signed with the latter on July 4.
A meeting of the CRB was held on Monday and is understood to have spilled over into Tuesday before a finding was announced today.
That found in favour of McLaren, with Alpine quickly acknowledging and accepting the decision.
“BWT Alpine F1 Team thanks the Contract Recognition Board (CRB) for convening on Monday and we acknowledge the decision they have made,” the team wrote in a two-part post on Twitter.
“We consider the matter closed on our side and will announce our full 2023 driver line-up in due course.
“Our immediate focus is the Dutch Grand Prix and securing points in our fight for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.”
The saga over Piastri’s future stems back to negotiations with Fernando Alonso and, more to the point, the stall in those conversations with Alpine.
Believing his immediate future was not with the Enstone-based team, Piastri and his management began shopping around for an alternative.
They found a willing partner in McLaren, with a contract signed on the Monday following the British Grand Prix.
It was more than a month later that things took a turn when Fernando Alonso announced he had signed for Aston Martin for 2023 on the day after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Alpine responded by announcing Piastri as the Spaniard’s replacement.
The Australian then took to social media to state he would not drive for Alpine less than two hours later.
The matter ultimately ended up in front of the CRB on Monday before its finding was announced today.
For Alpine, the net result is it has lost a highly credentialled youngster and a double world champion in quick succession.
However, it does now possess the most desirable seat left on the market for 2023, with a list of drivers angling to fill it.
