In what can be described as an unscripted bit of comedy, Alpine’s supposed new driver, Oscar Piastri, has come out and confirmed that he will not be driving for the Formula One team next year. This comes after Alpine released a statement suggesting otherwise. 

Piastri was announced as a replacement for Fernando Alonso, who himself will be replacing four-times Formula One champion, Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. Now, however, it looks like Alpine may be short of a driver. 

Shedding some clarity on the incident, Piastri took to Twitter, saying “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 in stark contrast to Alpine’s statement, which read  “BWT Alpine F1 Team confirms 21-year-old reserve driver Oscar Piastri as Esteban Ocon’s teammate starting from 2023. In line with the commitments made by the team to the young Australian, Oscar will be promoted to race driver and step in Fernando Alonso’s seat from next year onwards.”

Making things worse, Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer also chipped in with the premature confirmation, saying, “Oscar is a bright and rare talent. We are proud to have nurtured and supported him through the difficult pathways of the junior formulae.”

Clearly, Piastri and Alpine are due for a lengthy discussion. While they try to figure it out, here’s what the internet has to say about it. 

Image credits: FIA, Alpine F1 Team