Piastri says he won't race for Alpine despite team announcement

LONDON (AP) — Oscar Piastri said Tuesday he won’t drive for Alpine next season, mere hours after the Formula One team promoted the Australian reserve driver to replace Fernando Alonso.

Alonso surprised the team Monday when he informed Alpine he’ll move to Aston Martin next year. Alpine needed just one day to announce it would promote its 21-year-old budding talent to race alongside Esteban Ocon in 2023.

But the Melbourne native said that’s not happening.

“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,” he wrote on Twitter.

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.

Alpine’s news release had not included any comments from Piastri. There has been speculation that the current F2 champion was working on a better deal with another team.

In Alpine’s announcement, team principal Otmar Szafnauer said Piastri is "a bright and rare talent” who is “more than capable of taking the step up to Formula 1.”

Aston Martin on Monday signed the 41-year-old Alonso, a two-time world champion, to replace Sebastian Vettel, who announced his retirement last week. Alonso’s contract with Alpine was ending this season.

It’s been a hectic six days of F1 “silly season" that opened ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix with Vettel announcing he’ll retire at the end of the year. Alpine said Alonso had not given the team any indication he was leaving as