Otmar Speaks on Piastri and Alonso

Following the statement by Oscar Piastri that he would not be driving for Alpine, there was a bit of radio silence. But the Alpine Formula 1 team boss has finally broken it and he spoke about a couple of things. From the values, his father taught him, to the integrity of Fernando Alonso, to the loyalty of Piastri,
Stick around and we’ll uncover it all right here on Fervent Motorsports.
So by now, you have a gist of what happened last week. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, there’4-minute video on our channel explaining it all.

So Otmar had an exclusive interview with the Spanish press company, el confidencial. It’s a pretty lengthy interview but I’m gonna take you through the main important points.

On Alonso Leaving

When he was asked if he was disappointed with the decision that Alonso made, Otmar said that he could not be naïve, but he was also a man of integrity. And that if he committed to something, He’d do his best to see it through, it was something that his father taught him. . He went to mention that it was the same way he did business with Vettel, and even Perez and Paul di Resta. But he knew not everyone behaves in the same way.

When he was asked what was the main reason that Fernando was leaving, he said that he understood it. Fernando wanted a long-term commitment. But the alpine team were doubtful of his age. He went on to say
“Schumacher, at age 42, was beaten by Rosberg. At 38, it wouldn’t have happened. And it happens to all of us, to football players, to snooker players, to cricket players. The key is how you judge the trajectory of the ball, how it boots, how you move the stick a few centimeters And, at a certain age, the players are still good, but they can’t do it like when they were younger. That’s why we thought that with Fernando it was a year, plus a year, plus a year. And he wanted guarantees of more time.”

However, he also pointed out that Alonso and he are no different. They are both enormously competitive. Otmar remembered a moment in his childhood when his father beat him in Chess, and he cried with rage.
He said that he knows Fernando well enough to know that when he puts on his helmet, He’ll do his best regardless of what team he is racing for. And that’s their goal until the end of the season. To cement that 4th position in the world championship.

On Piastri

So while Otmar was understanding of Alonso’s situation, he seemed to be very annoyed, to say the least with Piastri. He explained, “We have a contract with Piastri, which he signed in November, we have spoken to our lawyers and they have told us that this is a binding contract, so part of that contract allows us to ride Oscar in one of our cars in 2023, which is nothing more than the reason we issued the press release.”

Otmar added that the team was determined to give Piastri a seat in Formula 1 even if it meant loaning out the driver to a different team for a few seasons. But he knew that he would be racing in 2023.

When asked about why Piastri would not stay with Alpine, who sponsored his entire career right until Formula 1, Otmar said “There should be some loyalty to the fact that we have invested literally millions and millions of euros to prepare him. So I don’t understand it either, you should ask him. But, above all, we must take into account last year we put a car and did 3,500 kilometers. Only the cost of an engine is 1,750,000 euros. The mechanics, the team that has managed those tests, the flights and trips… We have spent a lot, a lot of money on Piastri to prepare him for the future. And, if that future is not with us, it is logical and fair that we seek compensation.”

But to sum it up here’s one of my favourite quotes from the interview

“I expected more loyalty from Oscar than he is showing. I started in 1989 in Formula 1 and I had never seen anything like it. And it’s not about Formula 1, it’s about integrity as a human being. It could happen in ice hockey or football, it doesn’t matter. “

The team still believes that the contract is binding and that Piastri would be driving for them next season. However, if he isn’t in the Alpine, Otmar said that the Alpine seat is one of the most valuable ones on the grid left. And he received numerous calls to fill it in.

So those were the best parts of the interview.
And as always, stay tuned to fervent motorsports as we get all the best news Formula 1-related.