Oscar Piastri delivered a memorable radio message after a near collision with his former team, Alpine, during the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.
The incident occurred on lap 55. Piastri, who was pursuing McLaren teammate Lando Norris for the lead, attempted to navigate through traffic exiting Turn 3. However, Franco Colapinto in the Alpine, who was fighting with Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull, apparently didn`t spot Piastri, forcing the McLaren driver onto the grass to avoid contact.
Piastri, whose move from Alpine`s junior program to McLaren three years ago was a highly controversial transfer saga in F1, was understandably frustrated. An unbroadcasted radio message captured his reaction: “Alpine still manages to find a way to f— me over all these years later, huh.”
The 24-year-old ultimately finished the race in second place, behind Norris. This result means the gap to Norris in the championship standings is now 15 points.
Piastri`s path from a promising junior driver to a championship contender has been unusual. He joined the Renault/Alpine academy in January 2020. In July 2022, Alpine publicly announced him as one of their F1 drivers for the next season.
However, Piastri stated he had not signed a contract with Alpine, a claim later upheld by the FIA`s Contract Recognition Board. He subsequently secured a deal with McLaren. Piastri cited a loss of trust with Alpine and described his interactions with then-team principal Otmar Szafnauer as “bizarre and upsetting.”
Regarding Sunday`s incident, Colapinto received a five-second time penalty and a penalty point for his part in the near-miss.
Colapinto explained, “I just didn`t see him. He was in my blind spot and I was focused on Tsunoda. I really wanted to get past.”
