McLaren is threatened with a huge bill from Oscar Piastr’s contract

F1’s contract law will make a decision on Oscar Piastri’s commitments in the next few days. PDO

Alpine’s F1 team’s contract mess has blown up the entire driver market. Next year’s package still requires a lot of work, and there will certainly be a few more medium-sized surprises.

One of them might be quite boring, at least the McLaren boss Zak Brown in terms of

Papaijatalli gave handsome kicks to the underperformer For Daniel Ricciardo, but the Aussie driver didn’t get away for free. Namely, Ricciardo held onto – quite rightly – the promised annual salary of around 20 million for the 2023 season as well.

Full French stable

Brown brokered what he thought was an excellent deal, in which McLaren agreed to pay the Aussie driver the difference between the team’s share of debt and the salary paid by Ricciardo’s future employer. In other words, if the driver had returned to Alpine’s services, Brown would have had to pay only Ricciardo’s missing part of the receivables.

Now, however, it seems that Alpine is trying to build an all-French alternative where Esteban Ocon would have a fellow countryman by his side Pierre Gaslyn. From a commercial point of view, of course, it makes sense, because the Renault group is looming in the background.

However, for Brown and McLaren, a financial disaster is on the horizon if Ricciardo cannot find an F1 seat that suits him at all.

In that case, the entire wage receivable of 20 million would fall to be paid by the former employer.

An expensive deal

Brown then has to wonder if there was Oscar Piastri hijacking doesn’t make much sense anyway. The situation will become even darker if the Formula 1 contract court orders Mäkkäri to pay another 5-10 million euros fine to Alpine for kidnapping the junior driver.

On top of that, you have to add Piastr’s own salary (about three million), so the price for one season can be even more than 30 million euros.

Of course, the situation can still change. Ricciardo should now knock on the doors of Haas, Williams or AlphaTauri and ask about the possibility of cooperation.

The story continues after the picture.

With Haas Mick Schumacher position seems uncertain, Williams has considered options to Nicholas Latifand AlphaTauri just has Gasly’s potential ball free.

Ricciardo started his F1 career at the same team, so the return to the beginning Giancarlo Minardi to the Italian organization he founded might be the best option for him to save a career in a downward spiral.

Extension contract for Latif?

Williams boss Jost Capito has hinted that the team could even continue with the disgraced Latif.

– We find it fun to watch this driver market from the outside. We have no role in that, Capito said after last weekend’s Belgian GP.

– Nicky has improved a lot in the last games. He is willing to continue with us and we with him. He has these three European races to show that he can get more out of the car.

However, Capito did not deny that Ricciardo could be interested in the traditional British team.

– We talk to everyone. We are in no rush, he told Sky Sports.

Williams also has the opportunity to raise its own driver Logan Sargeant by Alex Albon alongside. The 21-year-old Yankee is currently third in the F2 series.