What initially appeared to be a straightforward promotion quickly spiralled into one of the most extraordinary contract sagas in recent Formula 1 history. Alpine publicly confirmed that Piastri, reserve driver back then, would step up to a race seat in 2023, filling the vacancy left by Fernando Alonso after his shock decision to join Aston Martin.

Within hours, however, the narrative collapsed. Piastri took to social media to distance himself from the announcement, stating unequivocally that he had not agreed to any deal with Alpine and would not be driving for the team the following season.

The standoff escalated into a formal legal dispute, as the CRB, after reviewing the evidence, ruled that Alpine had no valid contract in place, effectively clearing Piastri to negotiate freely. The decision opened the door for him to sign with McLaren, where he ultimately secured his F1 debut for the 2023 season.

Speaking to Lawrence Barretto on the Off The Grid podcast, the Australian opened up about that infamous period: “I kind of knew that it was going to be a pretty big story. There were reasons for doing that, it wasn't just me going out of my ways to announce to the world that I'm not racing.

Oscar Piastri endured yet another bitter blow in an already painful 2025 campaign, compounding the disappointment of losing the world title to his own team-mate.

The Australian had controlled the championship lead for much of the season, moving into the lead as early as Saudi Arabia and remaining on top until Mexico, where he finally surrendered first place. That run stretched across 15 Grands Prix — one of the longest periods any driver has spent leading a championship.

That impressive statistic ultimately worked against him, as it left Piastri with an unwanted record. Read the full story here.