Oscar Piastri: The Australian Driver To Debut F1 This Season

Oscar Piastri has expressed his delight in competing on the grid against athletes he grew up idolising, such Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

As 2023 season planning gets underway, Piastri acknowledged that working with two-time World Champion Alonso at Alpine last year was “eye-opening.” Both drivers have now gone on to other opportunities.

One of the primary themes of last year’s driver “silly season” was the young Australian’s contract dilemma; an agreement had been made to replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren weeks before Alpine officially named him as Alonso’s replacement when the Spaniard said he would be moving to Aston Martin.

But now the dust has settled surrounding that, Piastri, whose year on the sidelines had been preceded by three title-winning seasons in a row, culminating in Formula 2 glory in 2021, is ready to clear away his racing “rust” with his arrival on the Formula 1 grid this year.

About Piastri

Oscar Jack Piastri, an Australian racing driver (born 6 April 2001), will compete for McLaren in the 2023 Formula One World Championship after previously serving as Alpine F1 Team’s backup driver and having previously attended the team’s driver training.

In addition to winning the 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship and 2021 Formula 2 Championship with Prema Racing, he won the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup with R-ace GP. He is the fifth driver to win the GP3/Formula 3 Championship and the GP2/Formula 2 Championship in successive seasons, and just the sixth driver to win the GP2/Formula 2 Championship in their debut season. Piastri is regarded as one of the sport’s most promising young drivers due to his performance in lower categories.

Who is Oscar Piastri’s manager?

Piastri is managed by fellow Australian and former F1 driver Mark Webber.

Webber is one of the founders of JAM Sports Management, which he runs alongside his partner Ann.

Oscar Piastri’s career highlights and progression

Piastri, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, started karting in 2011.

In Australia and Europe, he advanced up the ranks, finishing third in the Australian Kart Championship in 2015.

He moved away from karts the following year, securing a berth in the Formula 4 UAE Championship with the help of funding from his father’s business, HP Tuners.

In order to race in the Formula 4 British Championship, Piastri then relocated to the United Kingdom, where he placed second in 2017.

When the Aussie won the Formula Renault Eurocup season, it marked his first major racing championship triumph.

He advanced to Formula 3 in 2020, then made the switch to Formula 2 in 2021. Amazingly, he took home both titles.

Piastri concluded with a a total of 252.5 points by the conclusion of his F2 campaign, 60.5 points ahead of his nearest challenger Robert Shwartzman.

What was Oscar Piastri’s role at Alpine?

Although having won the F2 title handily the year before, Piastri was unable to secure a place on the F1 starting grid in 2022.

He was given the position as Alpine’s backup driver instead.

That made sense for the young Australian because he was already a member of the Alpine Driving School.

In the event that Fernando Alonso or Esteban Ocon, the team’s two full-time drivers, were unable to compete on a particular weekend, he was available to fill in.

He also travelled to every race with the team, participating in driver briefings and helping out in the team garage.

Piastri was not required to fill in during the 2022 season and stopped travelling with Alpine entirely following the confirmation of his new contract with McLaren for 2023.

Why did Oscar Piastri replace Daniel Ricciardo?

Piastri was thrust into the dramatic world of Formula One and presented with a contentious and challenging contractual position.

Piastri was first introduced as an Alpine driver in August of last year as a result of Fernando Alonso’s decision to not renew his contract and go to Aston Martin in 2023.

The Australian publicly questioned this.

“I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year,” Piastri wrote on social media.

“This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”

Alpine claimed they already had a legal contract in existence with Piastri when they brought the case before the Contract Recognition Board.

Nonetheless, McLaren was able to establish a binding legal agreement with Piastri and secure their newest driver for 2023.

He takes the position of fellow Aussie Daniel Ricciardo, whose three-year deal with McLaren was mutually agreed to be terminated in the wake of the disaster.

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