Oscar Piastri

Biography of F1 driver Oscar Piastri

Having ascended through the ranks of motorsport, Oscar Piastri is set to make his Formula 1 debut in 2023.

The Australian garnered attention during his junior career, sparking a widely-publicized competition for his services in Formula 1.

Here is a comprehensive overview of Oscar Piastri.

Piastri's early career

Born in Melbourne in 2001, Piastri initiated his racing journey by engaging in karting competitions in Australia. Subsequently, he advanced to participate in European championships.

Following in the footsteps of other Australian Formula 1 drivers like Daniel Ricciardo, Piastri made the move to Europe in 2016, steadfastly pursuing his motorsport aspirations. Establishing himself in the United Kingdom, he made his debut in single-seaters in the Formula 4 UAE Championship.

At the age of 15, Piastri raced for Dragon F4 in 2016, securing two podium finishes and finishing sixth in the championship.

Transitioning to British F4 with the TRS Arden Junior Racing Team in 2017, Piastri attained the runner-up position after notching six wins and six pole positions throughout the season.

The subsequent stage in his career was the Formula Renault Eurocup, where Piastri's progression accelerated further. Following a ninth-place finish in the 2018 championship, the young driver joined the reigning champions, R-ace GP, in 2019 and clinched the title at the season finale in Abu Dhabi with a series of victorious performances.

Making an impression in F3

For 2020, Piastri made the step up to Formula 3 with Prema Racing. He had to wait to make his debut, though, with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the beginning of the season to be delayed until July.

It was an impressive start for the driver from Australia; he claimed his first victory in the category at the season-opening event in Austria, despite a collision on the first lap, before going on to take several points finishes in the races that followed.

Piastri clinched another win at the Sprint Race in Spain and kept himself in contention in what proved to be a closely-fought battle for the championship.

The Australian was leading the Drivers' standings going into the season finale at Mugello but, after failing to score points in the Feature Race, was left tied on points with teammate Logan Sargeant ahead of the Sprint Race.

While Sargeant recorded a DNF after a collision on the first lap, Piastri finished seventh which was enough for him to secure the championship by three points from Theo Pourchaire and four points ahead of Sargeant.

Alongside this feat, Piastri had already attracted attention from various figures in motorsport, having been signed to the then-called Renault Sport Academy in January 2020. He took part in his first F1 test for the outfit following his F3 championship victory.

Piastri dominates in Formula 2

Piastri continued with the Prema outfit as he progressed to Formula 2 in 2021, replacing 2020 champion Mick Schumacher.

A new format had been introduced into the series whereby each race weekend would feature two Sprint Races and a Feature Race. Piastri finished fifth in the first Sprint at the season-opening event in Sakhir before taking his debut F2 victory in the second Sprint.

The future F1 driver claimed a podium at each of the following rounds before clinching the lead in the championship at Silverstone after taking pole position. His debut Feature Race win came at the next event at Monza, a race in which he battled with championship rival Zhou Guanyu.

Piastri went on to win every remaining Feature Race in the season, including a victory at the finale in Abu Dhabi which saw him seal the title.

With his championship success, Piastri had followed in the footsteps of drivers including Lewis Hamilton and George Russell by winning the F2 crown in his debut season, as well as becoming only the fifth driver after Hamilton, Russell, Nico Hulkenberg and Charles Leclerc to take victory in F3 and then F2 in the following year.

Controversy on the sidelines in 2022

While Piastri was left without a race seat in 2022, he was appointed as a reserve driver for the Alpine F1 team, having remained a part of the Alpine Academy. An agreement had also been made that he would be available to McLaren as a reserve.

The Australian took part in test sessions for Alpine whilst on the F1 sidelines, before hitting the headlines in the summer of 2022 when a dispute arose over his services for the 2023 season.

After Fernando Alonso confirmed that he would leave the team to join Aston Martin for the next season, Alpine announced that Piastri would replace the Spaniard in 2023, though the press release featured no quotes from Piastri himself. Piastri went on to state via social media that he had not signed for Alpine.

The young driver had agreed a deal to race at McLaren as Daniel Ricciardo's replacement and the case was taken to the Contract Recognition Board, with the verdict going in McLaren's favour. It was then officially confirmed that Piastri would race for the Woking-based squad in 2023.

In the aftermath of the dispute, Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer said he had "expected more loyalty" from Piastri, comments that McLaren CEO Zak Brown labelled as "unfair".

Piastri was given his first taste of his new team when he got behind the wheel of a 2022 car at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi. He admitted afterwards that he had felt a "noticeable difference" after previously having only tested 2021-spec F1 cars.

Piastri set for F1 debut

After an eventful year away from the circuit, Piastri will finally make his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2023, racing alongside the incumbent Lando Norris.

The Australian completes a line-up of rookies joining the grid, with former F3 rival Logan Sargeant and Nyck de Vries also making the step up to the premier category.

Piastri's manager, ex-F1 driver Mark Webber, believes that it will take time for the youngster to adjust to F1, but has praised him for his handling of the contract saga prior to his arrival in the sport.

Zak Brown, meanwhile, has suggested that he expects Piastri to be able to challenge new teammate Norris "in time".

A great 2023 season and the start of 2024

Piastri had an exceptionally good F1 season in 2023. During the initial GPs, the McLaren was not competitive, resulting in disappointing outcomes. However, as the car became competitive, Piastri earned progressively more points for the team. By the end of the season, this amounted to a total of 97 points for the Australian. Additionally, he stood on the podium twice and won the sprint race in Qatar. This led to the extension of Piastri's contract until the end of 2026 with McLaren. It is rare for a rookie to sign a multi-year contract after their first year!

After such an outstanding season, expectations are high for Piastri in 2024. Will he be able to compete for the world title?