Oscar Piastri reflects on his unconventional F1 contract signing and the chaos surrounding his path to McLaren’s 2022 seat.
“I wanted to reach F1, of course, but I don’t know if I ever truly believed it was possible.” These raw and honest words come from Oscar Piastri, speaking to The Gentleman’s Journal.
It must be said that the McLaren F1 driver comes from far — very far, geographically. For an Australian, making it to Europe is anything but simple.
“Being from Australia, it’s not easy to reach F1 – you have to make major life decisions and big changes to make it happen.”
“I knew, even when I was karting and racing in Formula 4, that the chances of reaching F1 were so slim, so I always tried to stay realistic. My main goal was to become a professional driver and get paid to drive race cars.”
Piastri’s official arrival in F1 as a full-time driver was not without its hurdles.
We all remember the legal saga with Alpine F1. Though he was the French team’s reserve driver, Piastri had been recruited by McLaren F1 for 2023. The orange team insisted he was free, but Alpine later issued an official statement announcing his seat at Alpine for 2023! Finally, Piastri himself had to clarify with the now-famous tweet: “I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 has issued a press release late this afternoon stating I will be driving for them next year. That is false, and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023.”
“Yes, it was quite a complicated 12 months to get into F1,” he admits with a slightly awkward smile.
What’s more, his McLaren F1 contract was signed in a very… unexpected location!
“Signing my F1 contract was a very special moment. Even though there was a bit of controversy around it, it was really, really special. It happened in the parking lot of a gas station in the UK, so it wasn’t the most glamorous place to sign an F1 contract, but it was still a very, very special feeling.”
A future champion… and Lando Norris’s rival?
Since then, Oscar Piastri has quickly earned his place in F1. The 2024 season has already brought him his first wins (two) and his first title (in the Constructors’ Championship with McLaren F1).
“I don’t think there’s a single ingredient to our success this season,” he explains today. “(My team principal) Andrea Stella has certainly been a major factor in the team’s success – he’s been an incredible leader for everyone, including me. And Zak [Brown] does an amazing job keeping the team on track. This year, we’ve had many more opportunities, but there’s still a lot of progress to be made for McLaren.”
As for his teammate, Lando Norris, does Piastri see him primarily as a rival, a teammate, or a friend?
“He’s definitely a tough teammate to go up against, but I think that’s a good thing. You always want to measure yourself against the best.”
Will tension inevitably explode between the two McLaren F1 drivers?
“If we’re fighting for first and second place every weekend, there’s always a bit more tension, I suppose. We’ve seen it in the past – look at Lewis [Hamilton] and Nico [Rosberg]: when you’re battling for first and second, things can sometimes change a bit.”
While friendship is rare in such a competitive sport, Piastri reveals that, even with Norris, their relationship remains primarily professional.
“It’s hard to have real friends on the grid because, at the end of the day, you’re always trying to beat them. We don’t spend much time together outside the track – we don’t really have the time – but we’ve played padel together a few times. He’s not bad, but I think I’m better.”
“Fernando Alonso is very, very good at padel, and Carlos Sainz is quite good too. But I’ve been told that Carlos Sainz Senior would bring most of the grid to their knees.”
When asked about his long-term goals, Piastri leaves no doubt: “In the long term, I want to win world championships. That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it?”
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Fuelled by Drama: Piastri’s Journey to McLaren F1 Fuelled by Drama: Piastri’s Journey to McLaren F1
