Oscar Piastri reveals surprising location to sign McLaren F1 contract

Oscar Piastri has revealed that he signed his contract with McLaren in a “gas station car park in the UK.”

After winning the Formula 2 championship in 2021, Piastri became a reserve driver at Alpine for the 2022 season.

Enstone-based team, Alpine would lose their star driver Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin, leading to the young Australian's promotion to a full-time seat in F1.

However, in an unexpected turnaround, Piastri took to social media to deny rumors he had signed a contract with Alpine for 2023.

A month before, his manager, Mark Webber, agreed a contract with McLaren for Piastri to replace Daniel Ricciardo and drive alongside Lando Norris.

Alpine challenged this situation with the F1 Contract Recognition Board, claiming to have a contract with Piastri for 2023, but the CRB returned its verdict in favor of McLaren.

Two seasons later, Piastri took a step back from this contractual saga in an interview with Gentleman's Journal.

“Yes, it’s been quite a complicated 12 months to get into F1,” he said.

“Signing my F1 contract was something very special – even though there was controversy around it, it was a very, very special experience.”

Piastri then revealed the surprising location where he signed the contract before the controversies began.

“It was in a petrol station car park in the UK, so it wasn't the most glamorous place to sign an F1 contract, but it was still a very special feeling,” he said. he added.

Otmar Szafnauer: Former Alpine boss sets things straight

Alpine has had a tough time after losing multiple-time world champion Fernando Alonso as well as Oscar Piastri, one of its promising young talents.

It was then that Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer took on much of the responsibility. In October, he shared his version of events on the High Performance Podcast.

“In November [2021]”There was a two-week window where it could have been fixed and it wasn't,” Szafnauer explained.

“During the CRB decision, where Alpine lost because the paperwork was filled out incorrectly, we issued a press release that carried my image.”

The 60-year-old went on to claim that Alpine had used him as a scapegoat in the Piastri affair, specifying that he had no responsibility for the events.

In his first season at McLaren, following the summer controversy, Piastri finished in ninth place in the drivers' standings, collecting his first F1 points, his first podium and winning his first sprint race.

In 2024, Piastri contributed to McLaren's victory in the Constructors' Championship with Norris, taking his first victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old also triumphed at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and finished fourth in the drivers' standings, marking a successful year for him.