‘I wish he had more integrity’: Alpine team chief SLAMS Oscar Piastri over contract dispute

Alpine team chief Otmar Szafnauer has accused Oscar Piastri of ‘lacking integrity’ as the dispute over the driver’s future rumbles on.

A world champion in Formula 2 and Formula 3 over the past two seasons, the 21-year-old Australian is highly thought of in the paddock and is currently Alpine’s reserve driver.

Piastri is managed by former Red Bull star Mark Webber and has been heavily linked with a move to McLaren to replace fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

Earlier this week, the Woking-based team announced the 32-year-old had agreed to leave McLaren at the end of the season, a year earlier than anticipated.

A potential switch to McLaren, however, is complicated by the fact Alpine insist Piastri has signed a contract for next season with the French team, a claim which the Australian has steadfastly rejected so far.

‘My wish for Oscar was that he had a bit more integrity,’ Szafnauer told NewsCorp on Saturday on the eve of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

‘He signed a bit of paper back in November and we’ve done everything on our end of the bargain to prepare him for F1 and his end of that was to either drive for us or take a seat where we would place him for the next three years.’

Alpine’s team principal Otmar Szafnauer has questioned the young Aussie’s integrity

Piastri has been linked with McLaren to replace the departing Daniel Ricciardo 

The Australian will leave McLaren at the end of the season, a year earlier than expected

Earlier this month, Alpine announced they would be promoting Piastri to fill Fernando Alonso’s seat from next season, after the Spaniard signed with Aston Martin to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel in 2023.

Piastri, however, insisted no agreement had been reached, leaving him and Alpine in an awkward situation.

The International Motoring Federation (FIA) contract recognition board will try to resolve the impasse next week, when it is due to assess the situation.