The contract saga around Oscar Piastri (21) ended before it really began. The FIA’s Contract Recognition Board, which deals with disputes between two teams, has apparently already decided. According to racingnews365, the Australian will be allowed to start for McLaren-Mercedes from the coming season. This is also confirmed by research by Newsabc.
“Oscar is our number 1 candidate and we have invested a lot in him, not only on the financial side, but also emotionally,” emphasized team boss Otmar Szafnauer. “We certainly didn’t do that to prepare him for one of our opponents in the end. Our commitments continue in 2023, depending on the exercise of options, also in 2024. We also have a contract with him there.”
Daniel Ricciardo seems to have no future at McLaren.
According to the contract committee of the FIA that is not true. Also means: Alpine must have actually missed the option to pull the super talent. Between the beginning of July and the end of July there are several dates that the French must have ignored. One reason for this: until the very end, Alpine thought they couldn’t offer the 2021 Formula 2 champion a factory cockpit. According to the contract, however, one would have been obliged to do so. And: Farewell to Fernando Alonso on August 1st came too late for Alpine to react.
The question remains as to how exactly the separation from the former Vettel teammate is to be brought about. According to media reports from England, Ricciardo actually has a unilateral option that he has to pull by September 1st. Alone: A performance clause should also be built into his contract, which the traditional British team can now draw.
Ricciardo is only twelfth in the Drivers’ Championship, just 19 points and 57 points behind team-mate Lando Norris.
Maybe the driver-change-yourself game will end in a draw after all.
