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Following the entire Oscar Piastri/Alpine saga, all we can say is welcome to the F1 silly season!
The last few weeks' events have been nothing short of shocking/mind-blowing, whichever you want to call it. It all started with Sebastian Vettel announcing his shock retirement from F1 at the end of the 2022 season. Fernando Alonso then delivered an even bigger surprise with his move to Aston Martin from Alpine. This caught everyone off-guard as Alpine is surging at the moment while Aston Martin is on a decline.
This was followed by arguably the biggest surprise of them all: Oscar Piastri's outright refusal to drive for Alpine next season. The Australian appears to have found a way to replace compatriot Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren, leaving the French outfit red-faced.
Alpine does not come out of all this smelling like roses in any way. The team got played by Fernando Alonso first as he left without informing them. Oscar Piastri, a driver who has been groomed by the team and invested heavily in, then turned his back on the French squad and pretty much publicly humiliated it with his announcement.
Alpine's overconfidence in handling its drivers followed by the way the events have played out is a lesson for other F1 teams, especially the ones that have a junior driver program in place. Having said that, there is another side to all of this public humiliation that leaves Alpine red-faced for now and in desperate need of a driver.
While Piastri and Alonso have come out of this looking like heroes of some kind at first glance, there are long-term effects in play here. Questions need to be asked about whether the two drivers' decisions and the subsequent furor are even worth it. In this feature, we try to look beyond the clutter and theatrics that have dominated the F1 world in recent weeks and make sense of the career moves that both drivers have made.
The UPSIDE for both Oscar Piastri and Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso
Looking at how Fernando Alonso's decision could work, it all comes down to something that the Spaniard had specifically mentioned when he signed for Aston Martin. The Silverstone-based outfit has seen an influx of 'winners' from Mercedes and Red Bull. Aston Martin being an attraction for talent from these teams made it a favorable destination for Alonso as it gave him hope that this could eventually click to build a race-winning car.
Another added incentive is the ridiculous investment Aston Martin has secured from Saudi Arabia that alleviates any kind of worries the team might have when it comes to finances. The final piece of the puzzle was the long-term contract that Alonso was offered, which gave him a sense of security concerning his stay in the sport.
When you combine all of them, you have a team that has bountiful resources, an influx of proven talent, and finally, a 41-year-old driver that the team found worthy enough to offer a multi-year contract. On paper, Alonso's move to Aston Martin could work if everything clicks.
Oscar Piastri
A few reasons explain why Oscar Piastri wants to move to McLaren. The Woking-based outfit is undoubtedly a marquee brand in terms of prestige. McLaren has also been a proven top-of-midfield contender in the last few years. It was fourth in 2019, third in 2020, and fourth again in 2021 in the constructors' standings.
McLaren has shown that it is arguably a team that is just one step below the frontrunners and if one is to debut in F1, this is the kind of team one would like to be a part of. Hence, McLaren seems like a viable option for Oscar Piastri to step up to F1.
The DOWNSIDE for both Oscar Piastri and Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso
The Aston Martin-Fernando Alonso partnership is not without its share of doubts. When it comes to Alonso, however, the driver is undoubtedly expected to maintain a very high level of performance. He is a freak of nature, and even at 41 years of age, he has shown no signs of slowing down.
Beyond the driver, the team raises concerns as, despite the huge sums of money Lawrence Stroll has thrown into the team along with the influx of investments, Aston Martin is on a downward spiral.
While the 2019 Racing Point was average at best, the 2020 version was a Mercedes copy. The 2021 Aston Martin dropped down the order and the 2022 challenger has slumped even further.
Aston Martin's DNA before Stroll came in was of the Vijay Mallya-owned Force India. The team was consistently the 4th or 5th best on the grid despite having some of the worst financial support among teams.
The Silverstone-based outfit was notorious for making every penny count. The current Aston Martin outfit, however, has lost that DNA! The team has abundant finances, but instead of fighting at the front of the grid, it is regularly getting eliminated in Q1. Moreover, while Otmar Szafneur was a respected leader at Silverstone, his replacement Mike Krack does not inspire much confidence.
Ever since Lawrence Stroll took over the team, it has only been in the news for the wrong reasons. In 2019, it was in the news for copying Mercedes, and this season, for copying Red Bull.
Aston Martin, however, has potential. Even if we call it a rough diamond, however, it will take a few years to shine.
Oscar Piastri
While McLaren has a great brand name, it, unfortunately, does not translate into lap time. To be brutally honest, McLaren has been a bit of a disappointment this season. The car works on some tracks, and on others, it's just off the pace.
It is, however, fair to say that Alpine has been the best midfield team this season in terms of performance. Regardless of its reliability niggles, it leads the midfield standings ahead of McLaren.
For next season, we can expect Oscar Piastri to have similar machinery in both teams, unless something drastic happens. One thing that will be different, however, is that if Piastri goes to Alpine instead of McLaren, he could very well become the face of the French outfit. This is because, while Esteban Ocon is a strong teammate, he is probably a step below the elite drivers on the grid.
If Oscar Piastri goes to McLaren, however, he must remember that it is the home of Lando Norris, arguably one of the best drivers on the grid. At Alpine, Piastri may get the opportunity to slowly learn the ropes in F1 and then take over. At McLaren, he will have Norris putting together one smashing performance after the other, which will inevitably be a bigger benchmark to compare against.
It is fair to say that with comparatively equal machinery, man impact at Alpine is going to be much easier for Piastri as compared to McLaren. This is why questions need to be asked about why the Australian and his management are hell-bent on burning bridges with Alpine if there is not much of an upside. With rumors aplenty of McLaren owing Daniel Ricciardo money should it terminate his contract early, it's just too much of a risk for a rookie with not much of an upside.
Conclusion
On the outside, it seems both Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri have taken a gamble. If it works, it could pay off big time, but if it does not, it certainly has the potential to backfire.
In Alonso's case, he has gambled on a team that has the potential to be the frontrunner. Piastri, on the other hand, has backed himself to go up against one of the biggest challenges a rookie could have as a teammate. If he succeeds, he will become possibly the hottest property in F1 and bigger teams will come calling. If he does not, however, then all the hype goes to waste.
The question though is why? To an extent, Fernando Alonso taking the risk is somewhat justified at this point in his career. For Oscar Piastri, though? Not at all. The two drivers could have stayed at Alpine, a strong midfield contender, and may have used that opportunity to further their stock.
There is, however, a very real chance that the Aston Martin move could prove to be a disaster for Alonso. For Piastri, he could get dominated by Norris on his debut, or worse, end up without a seat as McLaren opts against paying the $21mn that Ricciardo has demanded.
It seems both drivers have taken an unnecessary risk by leaving Alpine. When the dust finally settles, the French squad could be having the last laugh.
