F1 News: Zak Brown dismisses "unfair" Piastri criticism from Alpine boss
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has come to the defence of Oscar Piastri following the comments made by Alpine's Otmar Szafnauer.
Oscar Piastri's contractual situation was one of the biggest headlines from 2022, as Alpine and McLaren squabbled for his services.
Alpine initially pushed for a contract extension in negotiations with Fernando Alonso, but the Spaniard's departure for Aston Martin caught the team off guard.
The French squad announced Oscar Piastri's 'promotion' shortly after Alonso's exit, producing an unforgettable response from Piastri on social media.
The Australian made clear that Alpine's announcement was made without his consent, outlining that he had already reached an agreement with another team for 2023.
What followed was a contractual battle between Alpine and McLaren, which eventually resulted in the CRB [Contract Recognition Board] ruling in McLaren's favour.
Alpine has recruited Pierre Gasly in the months following this dispute, although there is still some frustration about how events transpired.
Otmar Szafnauer - Alpine team principal - has criticised Piastri's "integrity" for his McLaren move, expressing his disappointment at the 21-year-old's departure.
McLaren's Zak Brown has responded to this, explaining his perspective to the media:
"I thought Otmar's comments towards Oscar were unfair and not accurate, especially having sat through the CRB [Contract Recognition Board].
"And now I know exactly what happened.
"I think we need to remember they were trying to sign Fernando Alonso, and it's kind of this 'Oh, this seat is yours, we announced you.'
"And I think he served his duty, sitting out a year...
"The way Otmar called his integrity into question, I thought, was very inaccurate and unfair, especially coming from Otmar."
Oscar Piastri - albeit unintentionally - has already generated immense attention across the F1 world.
His debut with McLaren will be amidst immense scrutiny as fans evaluate whether his abilities warrant the heated disputes over the summer.
In any case, the relationship between McLaren, Alpine and Piastri has been intriguing to observe.