Piastri case could end up in High Court, says Alpine boss

LONDON : Alpine could seek millions in compensation at the London High Court if their Australian reserve Oscar Piastri refuses to race for them next season, team principal Otmar Szafnauer told Reuters on Monday.

Renault-owned Alpine announced highly-rated Piastri last week as replacement for double world champion Fernando Alonso in their 2023 lineup but the 21-year-old has ruled it out.

McLaren, who are fighting Alpine for fourth in the championship, have reportedly told Daniel Ricciardo he is being dropped for Piastri, last year's Formula Two champion.

Szafnauer said all the indications from their base in Paris were that Alpine were prepared for a legal battle once the sport's August break was over.

"Going to the High Court is over 90 per cent certain that's what we'll do," he added.

The American said he contacted Formula One's Contract Recognition Board (CRB) last week but that avenue might not be sufficient.

"If the CRB says 'your licence is only valid at Alpine', and then he (Piastri) says 'that's great but I'm never driving for them, I'll just sit out a year', then you've got to go to the High Court for compensation," said Szafnauer.

There has been speculation that the two teams will ultimately come to an understanding that could see race-winner Ricciardo return to Alpine, the Australian's employers before McLaren.

HEAVY SPENDING

Alpine have spent heavily on preparing Piastri for Formula One, with independent tests and thousands of km in last year's car including one at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

A Formula One power unit alone costs some 1.75 million euros ($1.78 million) and there is also the expense of a dedicated test team of mechanics and engineers who need flights, cars and hotels.

"We haven't sat down