Following a near-collision with his former team Alpine at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, Oscar Piastri offered a memorable and humorous comment over his team radio.
During Lap 55, as Piastri was challenging McLaren teammate Lando Norris for the lead, he attempted to navigate through traffic coming out of Turn 3. Franco Colapinto in the Alpine, who was simultaneously battling Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull, seemingly did not see the approaching Australian driver, forcing Piastri into an evasive move onto the grass to prevent an accident.
Piastri, whose departure from the Alpine junior program to join McLaren three years ago was a significantly controversial episode in Formula 1, was understandably displeased after the incident. In a radio message that was not broadcast live, he was heard saying: “Alpine still manages to find a way to screw me over after all these years, huh?”
The 24-year-old ultimately finished the race in second place behind Norris. This result slightly reduced Piastri`s lead in the championship standings, which now stands at 15 points.
Piastri`s progression from a highly-rated young driver to a contender for the championship title has been marked by an unconventional path. He became part of the Renault, subsequently Alpine, academy in January 2020. By July 2022, the team had publicly announced him as one of their Formula 1 drivers for the upcoming season.
However, Piastri disputed the validity of that announcement and denied signing a binding contract – a stance later validated by the FIA`s Contract Recognition Board. He instead reached an agreement with McLaren, citing a breakdown in trust with the Alpine team and describing his treatment by then-Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer as “bizarre and upsetting.”
Regarding the incident on Sunday, Franco Colapinto was assessed a five-second time penalty and a penalty point for his role.
Colapinto commented on the event, stating: “I just didn`t see him. He was in my blind spot, and I was focused on Tsunoda. I really wanted to get past.”
