“Good Thing I Didn’t Sign That Deal With McLaren!” – NASCAR Drivers & Media Members React to Oscar Piastri F1 Fiasco
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Chaos. Perhaps that’s the right word to describe the situation involving Oscar Piastri and the Alpine Formula 1 team. Not only did the chaos spread to every corner of the F1 world, but it also found its way into other forms of sports and motorsports as well, including NASCAR.
What happened, to put it briefly, was that Fernando Alonso announced his departure from Alpine to Aston Martin from 2023 onwards, filling in the vacant seat of a retiring Sebastian Vettel.
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This meant Alpine had a vacant seat too which many, Alpine included, believed will be filled by their promising reserve driver Oscar Piastri. So they announced it, naively.
Because a few hours after the team announced Piastri’s ‘promotion’, Piastri himself announced that he won’t be driving for Alpine as reportedly he has his eyes and a shot at a seat in a McLaren.
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. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.
— Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) August 2, 2022
This whole episode also caught the eyes of those in the stock car racing business, as they reacted how everyone mostly did.
Jaw-dropper AGAIN. First Palou, now this…and both perhaps with a common team thread?! https://t.co/V9bvlGzEWB
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) August 2, 2022
It’s happening again… what is going on https://t.co/6fpbLHwtda
— Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman) August 2, 2022
An #F1 contract pic.twitter.com/V9Sl6Eu4WV
— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) August 2, 2022
I am pleased to announce that I'll be driving for the Alpine F1 team next year. Thank you all for your support
— Alanis King (@alanisnking) August 2, 2022
It’s contagious! https://t.co/oBwZKis0DA
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) August 2, 2022
Good thing I didn't sign that deal with McLaren.
— Frankie Muniz (@frankiemuniz) August 2, 2022
NASCAR too has its own situation involving Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch, perhaps the biggest name currently in NASCAR today, could potentially find himself out of a ride, or if not out of that, then out of a competitive ride next season.
This is because earlier this year, Mars Inc, who owns M&M’s, Busch’s longtime sponsor, decided that they’ll bid farewell to the sport after this season, leaving the Joe Gibbs Racing driver in need of a sponsor.
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A big one.
So his team began the search for one. And as time has passed, they’ve come to realize that it might not be possible to fulfill the huge gap M&M’s are leaving behind, along with the deep pockets that the driver himself, initially demanded, be filled to the top.
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As the situation stands right now, JGR have no answers to the sponsor question. And Kyle Busch has no leads on a team that will take him on with what he wants.
Although quite recently, Busch admitted he’s willing to take a pay cut. But if you know anything about these things, you know this situation is far from over.
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Just like the one with Oscar Piastri and Alpine in F1.
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Edited by:
Ranvijay Singh