Oscar Piastri – 6 things you didn’t already know
21-year-old Oscar Piastri dreams of becoming Australia’s first Formula One world champion since Alan Jones in 1980. His achievements so far are hopeful; he took the Formula 3 title in 2020, in 2021 he won the Formula 2 championship.
In Formula 2, Piastri impressed by taking the title immediately in his debut year. That makes the Australian only the sixth driver to accomplish that feat. Previously, only Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Charles Leclerc and George Russell had succeeded.
Oscar Piastri: farewell to Alpine
That Piastri was fast and successful in the lower racing classes did not go unnoticed in the Formula One paddock. The Renault team decided to give him a chance in 2020 and let him do a Formula One test, along with Christian Lundgaard and Zhou Guanyu. When that Renault was renamed Alpine F1, Piastri was appointed test and reserve driver by the French.
In August, a considerable soap opera developed around the driver. It began when Fernando Alonso announced his departure for Aston Martin. On Twitter, Alpine’s Formula One team proudly reported that Piastri would become Alonso’s replacement in 2023. Piastri adamantly denied this and shortly thereafter opted for a seat at McLaren, succeeding compatriot Daniel Ricciardo. Alpine drooped in disappointment and later snared Pierre Gasly as a second driver alongside Esteban Ocon.
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Webber as manager
Piastri is happy to have Formula One veteran Mark Webber as his manager. “He’s a good guy and easy to get along with. I’ve never been in a situation where I had to ask him for something. He always does it. He’s really helpful and I’m very glad he’s my manager.”
Regrets at Christian Horner
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner recently vented that he regrets that his team did not make work of this Australian rookie. “Piastri drove for Arden in Formula 4 and Formula Renault and he was a great talent,” Horner admitted. “Red Bull had the chance to look at him at the time, but we chose not to go for it. That’s something I regret.”
Oscar Piastri vs. Lando Norris
Next season at McLaren, Piastri will become Lando Norris’ teammate. “I’m looking forward to working with a new driver,” Norris said. “Having a fresh talent on the team is always a boost for the team. I’m sure we will push each other to the limit and make each other better drivers.”
