Piastri to Run Post-Season Test with McLaren after Alpine Agree Early Contract Release

Oscar Piastri will probably be allowed to run within the 2022 FIA Method 1 World Championship post-season check in Abu Dhabi with the McLaren F1 Group after the Australian was launched early from his contract with the BWT Alpine F1 Group.

Because the dispute over his contract for 2023 that in the end went to court docket, there have been doubts that Alpine would launch him in time to run in 2022 equipment, however the two groups have come to an settlement that may permit the 2021 FIA Method 2 champion to run in McLaren’s MCL36 on the Yas Marina Circuit later this month.

McLaren Group Principal Andreas Seidl confirmed earlier this weekend to Sky Sports activities F1 in Brazil that Piastri has already began his duties with the workforce with a check on the Circuit Paul Ricard on board their MCL35M that raced in 2021 and that has already been examined this 12 months by Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou.

Alpine is not going to permit McLaren to run Piastri in the course of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend as technically he’s nonetheless a part of the Enstone-based workforce till the top of the season, however they won’t stand in his solution to run within the younger driver check the next week.  O’Ward will get his first free apply run in Abu Dhabi to finish McLaren’s obligatory younger driver apply runs in 2022.

“There was a negotiation on an settlement as to how one can half methods,” Alpine Group Principal Otmar Szafnauer is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com.

“We’re drawing a line underneath it. As soon as this season ends, he’s free to go and do no matter he needs to do.”

Pierre Gasly may also be given the chance to check along with his new workforce as a part of the post-season check, with the Frenchman being given licence to run the Pirelli tyre check with Alpine by Scuderia AlphaTauri.

Gasly, who will finish his lengthy stint as a part of the Pink Bull programme after the Abu Dhabi weekend, will drive the A522 on the Yas Marina Circuit, with AlphaTauri seemingly to make use of it’s 2023 drivers, Nyck de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda for its operating. Fernando Alonso may also get to check with the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Group for the primary time.