Oscar Piastri caused quite a stir after the Austrian Grand Prix. In the final stages of the race, he was hunting down his teammate Lando Norris for the lead, but several backmarkers significantly hindered him. Among others, Piastri encountered Alpine newcomer Franco Colapinto, who refused to let him pass – costing the McLaren driver precious time. His frustration was evident over the team radio, as it turned out later.
In lap 55, Piastri was even forced onto the grass by Colapinto’s Alpine. This was unnecessary, considering the Australian was battling for the win, while the Argentine was merely fighting for the penultimate position. Colapinto received a five-second time penalty, but the damage was already done for Piastri. Shortly after, he was also held up by another Alpine driver. Pierre Gasly obstructed him while braking for turn one – resulting in further time loss compared to Norris.
Dirty Trick
After turn 1, Piastri quickly overtook the Frenchman, but his teammate had already gained a few tenths of a second. “Alpine still knows how to screw me over after all these years,” a frustrated Piastri sneered over the team radio. This comment was not heard in the regular TV broadcast of Formula 1, but was recorded via Piastri’s onboard channel. The clip quickly reached thousands of people via social media.
Piastri’s remark refers to his painful history with the Alpine team. When the current championship leader was preparing for his Formula 1 debut in 2022, he was initially announced as the new driver for the French racing stable. Alpine officially announced that he would get a permanent spot after a period as a test and reserve driver. “I understand that Alpine announced without my consent that I will drive for them next year. That’s not correct – I haven’t signed a contract,” Piastri responded at the time in a personal statement on social media. A month later, he was introduced as the new teammate of Lando Norris at McLaren.
