Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer stated that they are not concerned about the events regarding Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri.
Aston Martin announced the next day after the Hungarian GP that Alonso would join the team from the 2023 season. Szafnauer stated that he had learned about the switch from the press release.
Later on, Alpine released an announcement stating that Piastri would replace Alonso next year. However, the Australian denied it.
Piastri had reportedly reached an agreement with McLaren, though Alpine claimed that the 21-year-old was obliged to drive for them.
Szafnauer assured that the team is not affected by the events and is ready to fight for 4th place in the Constructors’ Championship.
“We are all feeling re-energized after the enforced Formula 1 summer shutdown. It’s always a good time to take stock on the season so far, reflect on the positives, and assess some of the areas for improvement,” he said.
“Now, we are all feeling ready and motivated for the second part of the season where there is so much to play for in terms of the championship.
“Clearly the team has been quite prominent in the world media in the days after Hungary and just before the summer break, however, it is absolutely no distraction for us once we hit the race track again.
“While we’re losing a fantastic asset in Fernando for next year, his decision has zero bearing on what we want to achieve together in 2022.
“We’ll be pushing hard as a team – with both Fernando and Esteban [Ocon] in the car for the remainder of the year – in order to put ourselves in the best possible position to meet the aforementioned targets for this championship season.
“I know both drivers are highly motivated, so we’re all looking forward to channeling that energy on track.”
