From Crash.net

“I’ve been through this situation before,” former world champion Jenson Button told Sky. “I wanted to leave my team for another team. I have made mistakes in my career. I was a few years into my F1 career when I made this mistake.

“The CRB decided against me moving so I stayed with BAR.

“For Oscar it is different.

“He hasn’t even raced in an F1 car. Alpine has funded his development and now he’s like: ‘You know what? I’ll go to them because they are better for my career!’

“He has got to look after No 1. But you can’t make enemies this early in your career.”

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, 2016 champion Rosberg delivered a damning indictment of Alpine's legal dealings.

"Alpine really did such a bad job there," said Rosberg.

"It is really unbelievable for such a high-profile team to manage it so badly, investing so many millions into Piastri's career just to not have him locked up into a contract and for him to go away and take an offer from McLaren.

"That is really, really tough.

"For Piastri's management around Mark Webber, great job. They have got him a great seat in F1 with McLaren - that is huge, amazing.

"Nevertheless, it is going to be tough for Oscar to do well there. Lando [Norris] is world-class, world championship material there.

"It is not going to be easy for him and straight away do better than?Daniel Ricciardo?is at the moment so that remains to be seen."

But disputing Szafnauer's comments, former race winner Webber told Channel 4 in his role as a pundit: "The numbers have been really ballooned out of proportion.

"The summer break has given people a chance to throw millions and millions and millions. It is certainly not that.

"The junior categories, Oscar got some good prize money for winning those championships as well, outside of Alpine's investment.

"So over 80 per cent of the budget was supplied by outside sponsors and Oscar's family for his junior career and the Academy, so it is also important to get some context there."