Christian Horner has revealed that Red Bull missed the chance to include Oscar Piastri in its Formula 1 youth program a few years ago, calling it “something I regret”.
Last year’s Formula 2 champion Piastri will make his Formula 1 debut with McLaren next year after being at the center of a contract saga involving both McLaren and Alpine in recent weeks.
Piastri progressed through the junior classes at Alpine Academy but it was discovered the team did not have a valid contract with him for a Formula 1 outing in 2023. History was the biggest topic of conversation in Formula 1 over the summer.
Horner had previously said that “something is wrong” if Piastri does not have a permanent contract with Alpine.
Horner: With us, Piastri’s contract would have been “watertight.”
In the final episode of the Formula 1 podcast, Beyond the Grid, Horner says it was “difficult” for him to comment on Piastri’s situation but that the contracts would have been watertight had he been under Red Bull’s wing would have stood – a possibility that existed a few years ago before he moved up to Formula 3.
“He drove for the Arden team in Formula 4 and Formula Renault and was obviously a great talent,” said Horner. “Red Bull had the opportunity to look at him at the time and we didn’t take that option, which I regret. But what he then achieved is phenomenal, in Formula 3 and Formula 2.”
“Had he been a driver here, he would definitely have had a watertight contract. As I said, I wasn’t there, it’s difficult to judge what was promised and what wasn’t delivered. But in any case it was unexpected, probably for a number of reasons .”
Horner: Alonso move has ‘triggered a wave’
Piastri drove for Arden – the junior team founded by Horner – in British Formula 4 and the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2017 and 2018. After winning both titles in Formula 3 and Formula 2, he switched to the Renault Academy at the beginning of 2020.
Horner says the fallout from Fernando Alonso’s decision to leave Alpine for Aston Martin in 2023 has “created a wave that is spreading to numerous places” which now include Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri.
After losing the contract dispute over Piastri’s continued employment for 2023, Alpine has turned its attention to signing current AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly.
Red Bull will only release Gasly once a suitable replacement has been found. The plan to sign IndyCar driver Colton Herta was shelved after the FIA refused a super license exemption, but Nyck de Vries has now emerged as a candidate for the seat.
What will happen to the Red Bull Academy drivers?
There is no suggestion that Red Bull is considering any of its existing academy drivers for a Formula 1 promotion in 2023, but Horner thinks the program is still in good shape.
“We continue to invest in youth, we have some great young drivers in the program who come from karting and are now moving up to Formula 4,” he says. “I think that’s something that Red Bull has done very well, giving these kids a chance to invest in young talent and giving them opportunities that they wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
“Isack Hadjar has had a great debut season in Formula 3 this year. I think that [Amuyu] Iwasa was an outstanding driver for me in Formula 2. Those are just two of the guys on the program.”
“Liam Lawson has had a difficult year but he too is another talent. Dennis Hauger has been a little disappointing in Formula 2 after having such a dominant year in Formula 3. But again the question is how much of it on him and how much is on the equipment.”