Oscar Piastri: McLaren’s excellent choice
Connected with Alpine until last year, Oscar Piastri finally seems to have made the right choice by leaving the French team for McLaren. While Alpine is drowning, the British team is shining. The young Australian has already shown that his choice was the best.
Last summer, the “silly season” made an impression and Oscar Piastri was at the center of a general confusion. When Fernando Alonso announced his departure from Alpine for Aston Martin, the French team announced Oscar Piastri, who was then the reserve driver for the team.
However, the Australian had just signed a contract with McLaren to replace Daniel Ricciardo. Alpine was unable to decide between Alonso and Piastri, so both had ultimately decided to leave. And what choices they made!
Fernando Alonso has found his way back to the podiums with Aston Martin, and Oscar Piastri finished 4th and 5th in the last two Grand Prix races. Meanwhile, Alpine is currently struggling, having experienced two consecutive Grand Prix races resulting in double retirements. They are currently stuck in 6th place in the constructors’ standings, far from the ambitions and resources invested by the French team, as highlighted by Laurent Rossi during an interview with Canal+ in Miami.
Leaving the Alpine ship
When Oscar Piastri announced on Twitter that he would not be driving for Alpine in 2023, his message had the effect of a bomb. Many were outraged by the behavior of the young Australian, but in the end, it was Alpine who got caught trying to wait too long.
The leaders of the French team were hesitant to extend Fernando Alonso’s contract and were making Oscar Piastri wait, as he did not want to spend another year outside of the car as a reserve driver. McLaren offered him a contract to replace Daniel Ricciardo, which he simply accepted to secure his future in Formula 1.
At the same time, Alonso signed a contract with Aston Martin since Alpine was not offering him anything. The French team had gold in their hands, but by waiting for everything, they lost everything.
This season, the Alpine team is slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean. After a difficult start to the season but with a magnificent third place finish by Esteban Ocon in Monaco, the French team is sinking. And with McLaren’s progress, Alpine’s fall seems even more dramatic. We were worried about Oscar Piastri before the start of the season, fearing that the rookie would not have a competitive car and would face media pressure and that from his teammate. But it’s not the case. He left the Alpine ship at the right time.
Fulfillment at McLaren
His start to the season was a bit complicated, despite some bright moments. But since the McLaren has become competitive, Oscar Piastri has revealed himself and shown why McLaren took the gamble of betting on him. A bet that has already paid off, by the way.
At Silverstone, he lost his third place, trapped by the safety car. In Hungary this weekend, he qualified 4th and finished the race in 5th position, facing the comeback of Sergio Pérez. However, we must highlight his superb start: he took 2nd place at the first corner ahead of Hamilton and his teammate. Certainly, they had more pace than him in the Grand Prix, but the Australian rookie is still learning.
Anyway, the choice to leave Alpine for McLaren was the right one, as the last two Grand Prix already prove. For Oscar Piastri, he still has to confirm himself in the second half of the season and try to get on the podium for his first season in Formula 1. With a competitive McLaren, Piastri is capable of showing what he’s capable of, and that’s what the world of Formula 1 was expecting from him after such a dominant performance in the lower categories. McLaren is therefore a winning bet.
