Oscar Piastri’s relationship with Alpine was once a loud talking point in the Formula 1 paddock. But in Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix, the ghosts of that messy 2022 split came roaring back – not just in spirit, but on track.
While locked in a thrilling battle for the race win with McLaren teammate Lando Norris, the championship leader found himself caught in backmarker traffic in the event’s closing stages.
On Lap 55, Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto, scrapping at the back with Yuki Tsunoda, forced Piastri off track in what was a clumsy and ill-timed move from the Argentine.
The stewards promptly handed Colapinto a five-second penalty, but the damage – in both time and temper – was already done.
A Nearly Terminal Clash
Just two laps later, Piastri’s charge was hampered again, this time by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who blocked him into Turn 1 as the Aussie tried to claw back time on Norris.
What followed was a rare flash of unfiltered frustration from the usually composed McLaren charger. Over team radio, he delivered a blistering remark dripping in irony and history.
“Alpine still manages to find a way to fuck me over all these years later,” he vented.
Though the outburst didn’t make it to the global broadcast, it was caught on his onboard feed and quickly made the rounds online – immediately becoming one of the most viral soundbites of the season.
Piastri’s dig was a clear reference to his acrimonious exit from Alpine nearly three years ago, when the team announced his promotion to their race seat – only for the young gun to respond with a tweet denying the claim.
The French squad ultimately lost their legal battle to keep him, and Piastri joined McLaren instead – a move that has since proven to be a career masterstroke.
Despite the chaos in Austria, Piastri managed to finish second behind Norris, maintaining his championship lead, albeit with the margin slashed to 15 points.
Alpine’s Tailspin Deepens
While Piastri thrives, Alpine flounders. The French team left Austria without scoring for the fourth time in five races and now sits dead last in the Constructors’ Championship – 15 points behind an improving Sauber.
Team boss and executive consultant Flavio Briatore did not sugarcoat the situation, branding the team’s form as a growing crisis.
“We have lost ground to our direct rivals in the Championship after another race without scoring points and, frankly, this level of performance is increasingly concerning,” Briatore said.
Gasly, the only driver to have scored points for Alpine this season, started well by charging up to sixth on the first lap, but quickly fell back, citing poor grip and possible damage.
Colapinto’s race was no better – he was spun by Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda early on and later punished for his clash with Piastri. He finished 15th, two spots behind Gasly.
Read also: Team Talk - Sunday in SpielbergBriatore expressed disappointment over the drivers’ qualifying efforts, noting that both should have been stronger on Saturday given the car’s pace.
“Yesterday the car was quick and [we] should have been well inside Q3 with two cars,” the Italian said.
“Sundays are a very different story for us and it is important we understand why this is, especially if we want to turn this season around from this difficult position.”
After six rounds, Alpine replaced Jack Doohan with Colapinto in what was initially dubbed a five-race evaluation. But Sunday’s messy showing only added to doubts about the team’s driver choices – and direction as a whole.
Colapinto’s careless run-in with Piastri provided a perfect, if unintentional, metaphor for Alpine’s current plight: stumbling at the back while being cursed by echoes of the past.
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