Oscar Piastri had a glistening racing reputation when he joined McLaren for the 2023 F1 season. The 22-year-old Australian was fresh off winning the Formula Renault Eurocup, Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships—consecutively, in his rookie seasons, the first driver to ever accomplish this. When he joined F1, the pressure was on, and it’s safe to say he’s delivered.
Last time out, in Qatar, Piastri had the best weekend of his F1 career to date. He took the Sprint Shootout pole in a stunning performance and was able to keep three-time champion Max Verstappen at bay to achieve his and the team’s first Sprint victory. In fact, it was the team’s second win in 11 years, with the first being at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
Not only was he quick in the Sprint, but the McLaren driver was also able to collect second place the following day and earned himself two consecutive podium finishes in Japan and Qatar. As F1 heads to Austin this weekend, Piastri sat down to talk about his incredible rookie season, his family, his race-day superstitions and more.
Ariel Schalit/AP Photo
Sports Illustrated: What were your expectations for your rookie year in F1?
Oscar Piastri: I didn’t really have any expectations, to be honest. I think especially in F1, but in all motor sport, the car is obviously a big factor. At the start of the year, we were struggling. We obviously weren’t where we wanted to be, but I think, especially at the start of the year, I was trying to learn as much as I could as quickly as I could, and I’m still trying to do the same now. So the car performance side of things doesn’t really affect that. But once we’re in the position to try and fight for podiums and sprint wins, of course it adds a little carrot in front of you. I’m mainly just trying to learn as much as I can.
SI: Your manager is former F1 driver Mark Webber. Has he been giving you any tips or tried to take credit for your successes this season?
OP: Ha, no. He’s been good. Going into the season, of course, he was trying to make sure I was prepared as possible and gearing up for the chaotic year ahead. He’s been really good, and now that we’re in a position to fight at the front, he obviously spent the latter years of his F1 career sort of in a similar position. So he’s been very, very helpful for me, being in a championship-winning team as well has been a positive influence for everyone.
SI: How has life changed now you’re an F1 driver? I’m sure you get more recognized. Can you still just pop into the shops?
OP: Definitely a few more people recognize me and say hi and stuff. I mean, my social media following has gone through the roof, but apart from that it’s not changed too much. I just have a lot less free time than I used to because we’re away racing. But, it’s been really enjoyable. It’s something I wanted to do since I was a little kid, so to be here now doing it is very exciting.
Darko Bandic/AP Photo
SI: You’ve come from generations of mechanics—your dad, grandads. Have you found that having that influence has changed your driving style? Have you got more of a mechanical sympathy for the car because of it?
OP: I’m not sure my mechanics would agree that I’m sympathetic with it! Cars and motor sport have been in my family for a couple of generations now. I’m the first one of my family to actually go racing myself. But I guess the knowledge has kind of been there. I’ve always enjoyed the engineering side of things, maybe not the mechanical side of things, because I would not know what to do if I had to change something on the car. But the engineering side of things, I’ve always enjoyed those subjects at school, too. I guess it helps just to have a broader understanding of what things do and not have to focus on it too much or relearn about it too much.
SI: Talk me through your Qatar weekend. You won your first F1 event in the Sprint on Saturday and then had your best Grand Prix finish of second on the Sunday!
OP: It was a very enjoyable weekend. Sunday after the race, maybe not the most enjoyable postrace I ever had because it was a little bit warm. [Temperatures and humidity were so high in Qatar that drivers were suffering from vomiting and heat stroke.] But as a weekend on the whole, it was pretty exceptional. I think Friday maybe I wasn’t super happy because I got a lap time deleted that would have put me third. So I was a bit disappointed with that. But Saturday in particular, qualifying on pole and winning the sprint was maybe not something I’d really thought about too much in the moment because we still had the Grand Prix to go. But after the weekend it sinks in a lot more, and yes very, very proud. Then to get a second-place finish in the Grand Prix was nice as well.
SI: Did you have anybody unexpected reach out to you to wish you congratulations after?
OP: I wouldn’t really say unexpected. I’ve had a lot of people reach out, you know, some people that I haven’t seen for a long time that helped me in my early motor sport career. A lot of people from McLaren as well, which was very nice. I don’t think anyone unexpected but just a lot of people, which was very nice.
SI: Do you have any superstitions you do over a race weekend?
OP: I do get in from the left-hand side, but that’s just because it’s what I find more comfortable. I can get in on the right hand side, so it’s not like a left-hand side at all costs. But that’s really the only thing. Apart from that, I am pretty superstition free.
SI: What are your top three movies?
OP: I’m pretty sure it’s called The Gentleman, with Matthew McConaughey, which is very, very good. Talladega Nights? What else? I’m trying to think what deserves to be third! Let’s go with Grown Ups. That came out during my childhood. At the time, it was like, all the kids were kind of my age.
