Oscar Piastri has pulled back the curtain on the summer of 2022 – a period that saw him transition from a sidelined Alpine protege to the center of a global contract war as a freshly signed McLaren driver.
For the 24-year-old Australian charger, the journey to that moment was paved with a rare, relentless success. After joining the Renault Sport Academy in 2020, he decimated the junior categories, winning the F3 and F2 titles back-to-back as a rookie.
Yet, the reward for such dominance was a year in the shadows as Alpine’s reserve.
The Weight of the Sidelines
While the world saw a talent waiting in the wings, Piastri was navigating a quiet, internal frustration.
“It was certainly a tough time. Naturally, as a racing driver, you want to go racing,” Piastri admitted, reflecting on his year out of the cockpit in an Off The Grid video just released by F1.
The 2022 season became a classroom rather than a playground. He was embedded in the team, watching Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon from the garage, absorbing the mechanics of a life he wasn't yet allowed to lead.
“That year, not racing was tough, definitely," he explained. "It did allow me to view some things from the outside a little bit easier: being part of a weekend, understanding what media commitments are going to be like, what the sponsor commitments are going to be like, just the general rhythm of the season.
"I learned a few things about that, but it was a tough time."
Despite the uncertainty of where he would land – with Alpine initially considering a loan to Williams while they juggled their veteran lineup – Piastri remained steadfast.
“I always kind of took pride in the fact that I was doing everything that I could, and I was always confident that something would come up,” he said.
The Controversial Contract
The drama reached its peak when Alpine announced that Piastri would be promoted to a race seat for 2023 following Fernando Alonso’s decision to join Aston Martin. But the Aussie immediately denied the claim with a pointed post on social media.
“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,” he wrote at the time. “This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”
In reality, Piastri had already signed with McLaren. The ensuing legal dispute went to the FIA Contract Recognition Board (CRB), which ultimately ruled in his favor.
“I kind of knew that it was going to be a pretty big story,” he reflected. “There were reasons for doing that, it wasn't just me going out of my ways to announce to the world that I'm not racing.
“I mean, I certainly look back on it now with some laughs. Definitely at the time, it wasn't so funny. It obviously went to the CRB. Things were in my favour, but that was another pretty tense moment.”
Making His Mark
With the dispute resolved, Piastri made his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2023.
“That was an incredible moment. Then also kind of hits you that everything you've done previously almost doesn't matter now,” he admitted, capturing the surreal transition from junior champion to top-tier racing driver.
Read also: Piastri reveals what he’ll ‘take forever’ from 2025 F1 seasonToday, with nine victories and 26 podiums to his name, the controversy of 2022 feels like a distant prologue to a burgeoning legacy.
Piastri is no longer the "junior" caught in a tug-of-war; he is a cornerstone of the grid, grounded by the lessons of that turbulent summer and the humility of a driver who knows he is “still learning.”
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