Oscar Piastri takes F1 podium in rookie season – a remarkable feat from winning F2 Championship in 2021. The 22 year old excelled in Qualifying, taking P2, followed by P3 in Formula One Japanese Grand Prix main race on Sunday, to cement double podiums for McLaren Racing, with Lando Norris claiming P2 spot.
The result proves stark reminder, that making strides – or leaps in Oscar’s case – up the formula racing ladder remains the toughest challenge a driver faces through-out entirety of career. Junior results count for plenty, so to does how to gain a seat in pinnacle tier category, with which Team, and for how long.
Notwithstanding Oscar’s stellar achievements prior to F1 – winning F3 and F2 Championships in 2020 and 2021 – equal to success on the track has been effective and strategic decisions based on trust with Manager Mark Webber.
The former Formula One driver – from 2002 to 2013 – has the know-how to guide/mentor/and align his protegee on courses of action which aid upward trajectory of learning the steep curves that Formula One racing presents.
Take the swings and roundabouts of managing the transition from winning Junior F2 and F3 Championships, to gaining place in Renault F1 Academy, then moving to position in re-named Alpine F1 Team as reserve driver for 2022 season. The opportunity not only presented Oscar valuable seat-time in testing sessions with Alpine, as well as agreed reserve driver for McLaren, but remained on the fringe of locking into future contracts, which proved beneficial in the long-term.
When Alpine driver line-up turned, with the exit of Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin for 2023 season, the Team’s knee-jerk announcement of Piastri replacing Alonso proved more than insubstantial, breaking all basis of trust of communications between Team Management and driver – a precursor for Piastri parting ways with the British based Team.
Would this have been a hard call to make? Sure, Piastri now had a seat handed to him by Alpine, but at what expense? Oscar’s integrity had been superseded by the Team’s presumption that the young-gun would race under whichever conditions – which proved a break of transparency and trust between those at the top making decisions which affected a driver’s racing career.
Switching to 2023 season, with Oscar firmly ensconced within McLaren camp, and results have proved celebratory. From debut race in Bahrain in March with DNF, to scoring P2 in Formula One Belgium Grand Prix Sprint race in July, to standing P3 on podium in F1 Japanese GP at the weekend, and Oscar’s F1 future looks bright.
Yes, sure, learning curves are present and accounted for – as Oscar laments: ”’There are definitely a few things that, had I had this race again, I would’ve done a bit differently, but that’s all part of learning. I just wasn’t quick enough at certain points of the race. These races (on high-degradation tracks) are probably the biggest thing I need to try and work on at the moment. It’s still quite fresh for me, obviously. In all the junior racing before this there are no races like this. So the only way you can learn from it is by just doing the races.”’
It is super obvious McLaren Mercedes are on a roll. With double podiums at F1 Japanese GP – which has not been achieved since 2021 when Daniel Riccardio and Norris went P1 and P2 in Italy – the Woking based Team have already surpassed Constructor points standings of 2022, currently in P5 on 172 points.
Team comradeship and spirit of commonality – to develop progression of racing prowess on and off the track – have genuinely contributed to the largess of results. Lando Norris has banked 4 P2 podiums this season, along with Piastri’s P3, make the iconic kiwi logo stand proud as representative of the Brand’s founder Bruce McLaren, way back in 1963.
For Oscar, taking into account his demeanor of embracing all Formula racing offers, the final 6 Rounds will bear all opportunities to learn, develop, and refine skills on track. All prior, to his second season in Formula One alongside team-driver Lando Norris and McLaren.
Header photo: Oscar Piastri at Formula One Japanese Grand Prix, Image: McLaren.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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