The harm that Oscar Piastri creates towards Alpine

It's not good to be an employee ofAlpine F1 Team at the beginning of August 2022. The French team lost its most famous representative in the space of two days (Fernando Alonso toward Aston Martin) and its future star Oscar Piastri publicly plunged a knife into the back of the French brand by opposing a tenure in the second seat of the Blues in 2023 via social networks.

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That, roughly speaking, is the facts. Let's try to forget the question of the dispute which will oppose in the weeks/months to come the Australian hopeful and the A arrowed firm to look at the repercussions of this true-false transfer in terms of brand image. It is an understatement to say that they are disastrous. This is not a journalist's opinion, but the evidence that is visible in every corner of Twitter and social networks.

Since Tuesday evening, August 3, accounts of athletes or teams have started to parody the message ofOscar piastri. The champion of Formula 2 2021 wrote: “I understand that, without my consent, Alpine F1 issued a press release late this afternoon stating that I will drive for them next year. This is false and I did not sign a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not drive for Alpine next year. »

I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.

— Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) August 2

From this media coverage, the schoolboy jokes accumulate. For example, Alexander albon has formalized its contract extension with Williams Racing using the same formulations: “I understand that with my agreement, Williams Racing issued a press release this afternoon stating that I will be driving for them next year. It's true and I signed a contract with Williams for 2023. I will drive for Williams next year. » Emoji " laugh until you cry " bonus.

To add insult to injury, Oscar Piastri (or his Community manager) responded with a Gif under the Thai's post: “Well done, sir, it was a good idea” accompanied by the mention “Congratulations man! ». A magnificent XXL certificate of confidence from a young man who has not yet competed in a single Grand Prix and for whom the steering wheel McLaren is not yet recorded, without thinking of the legal proceedings which will oppose him to Alpine.

Congrats mate 👏 pic.twitter.com/Y1uJ1IXdQN

— Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) August 3

Mockery from all sides

Even football attacks Alpine. The prestigious Borussia Dortmund club (Germany, 1,4 million Twitter followers) tweeted this: “We understand that on Saturday the Bundesliga issued a press release stating that our match against Leverkusen will be broadcast live on ABC. That's right and all fans in the United States will be able to watch the game on cable, for free. We are excited to play football this year. » Another parody of Piastri's message.

Cycling throws itself into the joyous battle with the announcements of the professional teams Team DSM and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert pretexting the transfer of Oscar Piastri under their respective colors, supported by photomontage. That speaks for itself :

First new season transfer confirmed! 🚨

Oscar Piastri swaps 4 wheels for 2 going from Alpine to the Alps 🤪Welcome to the team, Oscar! 🤣#SillySeason #FakeNews #Piasco https://t.co/JUBw8vrRNg pic.twitter.com/MfLeBwgQTT

— Team dsm-firmenich PostNL (@dsmfirmpostnl) August 3

The French formation TotalEnergies also made reference to the Piastri affair via Runner's Recruit: “And no, it’s not Oscar Piastri…” With a little hindsight, we could take these messages for a simple school joke, a “meme” in the making which will undoubtedly be worn to the limit for a few hours/days before falling back into the general anonymity of social networks .

Other gestures of base mockery, coming from within, hurt the reputation ofAlpine on the Internet, and therefore in public opinion. A mind-boggling sequence was brought to the table by Fernando Alonso and his ex-future Team principal Otmar Szafnauer, Tuesday August 2.

The Romanian-American leader had stammered during a press conference on Zoom that the Spaniard was relaxing in the Greek islands, and that he was unreachable to explain his surprise departure for Aston Martin. However, a few hours later, and simultaneously with Piastri's explosive message on the networks, Fernando Alonso quietly filmed himself in his native stronghold of Oviedo in the north of Spain, and even dared to give a thumbs up via a selfie.

Oviedo, capital of good jokes. © Instagram Fernando Alonso

A deliberate act when we know the cunning of the 42-year-old veteran. This gesture does not have an explicit recipient, it can be addressed to whomever you wish: the board ofAlpine for his management of drivers, Oscar Piastri for his career management, or Alonso himself for his departure fromAlpine, such a " good riddance ". The Asturian's memory is perhaps playing tricks on him: despite his desire to win with some of the most legendary brands in F1 (McLaren, Ferrari), Fernando Alonso should not forget that his only two world titles were built in collaboration with the men and women of Renault F1 Team. But after all, it was so long ago (2005 and 2006).

Piastri the ungrateful

On the other hand, Oscar Piastri's desire to swap colors Alpine for an opposing company seriously lacks recognition. Without Alpine, are we sure that the kid from Melbourne would have climbed the ladder to Formula 1 so quickly?

Then called Renault Sport Academy, the entity dedicated to the detection and support of young hopefuls of the Single seat had got their hands on the teenager from the Antipodes following his victorious season in Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019. Since 2020, Le Losange has invested a considerable sum and significant human resources in Oscar Piastri: physical and mental preparation, personalized coaching, behind-the-scenes access to the Formula 1 team enstone and Viry-Châtillon to learn from the inside how their future working environment will work for the most talented among them, etc.

Oscar Piastri will not wear these colors for much longer… © Antonin Vincent / DPPI

The renamed program Alpine Academy in 2021 has put together a tailor-made schedule for Oscar Piastri so that he does not lose a year of learning in 2022. This year, the holders Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso being firmly associated in F1, the outgoing Formula 2 champion spent days in the simulator Alpine as a reservist, as well as an excursion on a track on the calendar (Red Bull Ring) at the wheel of A521, the single-seater of the year 2021.

Le press release sent by Alpine F1 Team to formalize the arrival of Piastri in the team emphasized these efforts made for the future, efforts which should pay off with this signing. “As part of his preparation for F1, Oscar was appointed BWT reserve driver Alpine F1 Team in early 2022. He has since completed an intensive and comprehensive training program in private testing under the direction of the team and with the full financial support of the team. These tests were carried out with the A521, the single-seater ofAlpine having won a Grand Prix in 2021, without forgetting his presence on the circuits and simulator sessions to prepare him for his jump to F1. »

More simply put, Oscar Piastri, if his intrinsic talents as a driver are not to be called into question, has become a man suited to Formula 1 thanks to Alpine. Trained from head to toe by the French entity, Oscar Piastri did not show gratitude towards the sector. In the Nordic countries, the etymology of the first name “Oscar” designates the “divine spear”. Too bad, the association with a single-seater bearing an arrowed A had a double meaning, symbolic and sporting.

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