Oscar Piastri's Austrian Grand Prix was a rollercoaster of emotions, ultimately culminating in an explosive radio message directed at his former team, Alpine. The McLaren driver, locked in a fierce battle with teammate Lando Norris for the lead, encountered a series of incidents involving Alpine cars that left him fuming.

The first incident occurred on lap 55 when Piastri was lapping Franco Colapinto. Colapinto, battling with Yuki Tsunoda, appeared not to see Piastri approaching and squeezed him onto the grass at Turn 3. This cost Piastri valuable time and track position in his pursuit of Norris. Colapinto was later handed a five-second penalty and two penalty points for the incident. Colapinto explained, "I just didn't see him. He was in my blindspot and I was focused on [Yuki] Tsunoda".

Adding insult to injury, just two laps later, Piastri found his path blocked by Pierre Gasly's Alpine as he attempted an attack down the main straight into Turn 1. This second obstruction triggered Piastri's outburst over the team radio: "Alpine still managed to find a way to f*** me up all these years later, huh?".

Piastri's frustration stemmed from his acrimonious departure from Alpine in 2022. Alpine had announced Piastri as their driver for 2023, but Piastri publicly denied the claim, stating he had not signed a contract with them. He had, in fact, already signed with McLaren. The Contract Recognition Board ultimately ruled in favor of McLaren, allowing Piastri to join the team. The incident led to a very public falling out, with then-Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer questioning Piastri's "integrity".

The radio message quickly went viral, highlighting the ongoing tension between Piastri and his former team. While Piastri was able to continue and ultimately finish second behind Norris, the incidents undoubtedly impacted his race and fueled his frustration.

Adding to the drama, Piastri had another close call earlier in the race, on lap 20, when he locked his tires attempting to overtake Norris at Turn 4. He narrowly avoided contact with the back of Norris's McLaren. Piastri acknowledged the move was too risky, saying "sorry for the move in Turn 4, my bad" over team radio. McLaren team boss Andrea Stella praised Piastri for his immediate acknowledgement of the risky maneuver. Piastri himself admitted he "pushed the limits a bit far" during the intense battle with his teammate.

Despite the drama, Norris' victory and Piastri's second-place finish marked a successful day for McLaren. Norris has closed the championship gap to Piastri to just 15 points. The next race, Norris' home Grand Prix at Silverstone, promises to be another exciting chapter in the ongoing championship battle.