Oscar Piastri reveals F1 ultimatum which led to 'pretty torturous' choice

Oscar Piastri has reflected on the decision his dad gave him as a teenager, which left him opting to go to boarding school in the United Kingdom, something he admits would be "pretty torturous" for most children.

The Australian, who came painfully close to winning his first F1 drivers' championship in 2025, moved to the UK aged 14 with his father to pursue his dream of reaching the so-called pinnacle of motorsport.

It culminated in the McLaren driver going to boarding school, with his dad returning to Melbourne after six months. It was an experience that helped shape the nine-time grand prix winner into the person he is today.

A decade on, having triumphed in FIA F3 and F2, Piastri has developed into one of the calmest operators on the F1 grid.

Known for his unflappable nature and unfazed approach to racing, it was the foundation for his championship charge last year.

Whilst he ultimately came up just 13 points short of team-mate Lando Norris, the 24-year-old was widely praised for his cool demeanour and level-headed style.

"There’s been a conscious effort, not being too fired up and getting too emotional, but also having some emotion and some passion in there," he explained in the latest episode of F1's series Off The Grid.

"Because, obviously, if you don’t care, then not much good is going to happen either," he added. "Just finding that sweet spot has been a learning experience.

"Part of that comes from, I guess, how I’ve grown up, especially once I moved to Europe. I learned a lot of life lessons and how to get around in life by myself, in some cases."

A pivotal point in the journey to F1

It was a process that came with difficult choices, including a pivotal moment in his journey after just half a year in the UK.

"My dad moved over with me for the first six months, and then more or less gave me the decision of: Either you can stay here, go to boarding school and keep chasing your dream, or you can come back home with me," Piastri said.

"I was enjoying my time racing in Europe and racing against the best guys in the world, and I felt it would have been a shame to go back.

"I was obviously sad to be moving away from home, but I was also excited to go and try and chase my dream, and going to Europe is definitely the best way of trying to achieve that."

It helped Piastri learn to "remove the emotion" from situations, one of his greatest strengths in a high-octane environment where feelings often run high.

"It was kind of simple in some ways," he stated. "This is how I achieve my dream. So I kind of had to remove the emotion of what I was doing out of it, in some ways."

"But it did make the occasional weekend or week, where you want to go home, just see everyone again, sleep in your own bed, see your family.

"That was tough at points, but again, it was always with a much bigger picture in mind, of trying to become a Formula 1 driver, if I could do it."

Looking back on having to live in a boarding school on the other side of the world from his home country, Piastri conceded how horrible it would be for many young people.

He added: "I think for most kids, the idea of living at school sounds pretty torturous...

"At the beginning, I wasn’t so keen on the idea. It was more one of those things where, you know, I’ve got to suck it up if this is what I want.

"But actually, when I got there, in some ways, it was kind of like living with friends, which was nice and kind of also allowed you to take your mind off of racing."