Oscar Piastri expressed pride in his Qatar Sprint victory, marking a pivotal moment that addresses doubts about his racing career.
It took Oscar Piastri just 35 Grand Prix to become a Formula 1 race winner, a moment most of his rivals will likely never experience. The emotion was profound for the 23-year-old driver.
“It’s very, very special. There were many Australian flags, actually, which was really cool to see. Yes, it was an incredible moment. I mean, it’s always special to stand on an F1 podium, but it’s a bit more beautiful when you’re at the top, so I’m very happy. As I said, it’s an incredible moment I’ve dreamt of for a very long time. I said that my first dream in my career was to reach F1. The second is to win a race. Yes, I’m very, very happy and proud, not just of myself, but of everyone who helped me reach this position. I think of my family first and foremost. You know, big decisions had to be made at a young age to chase the F1 dream. It’s very hard to become an F1 driver staying in Australia. And, yes, I’m very, very proud that those decisions have paid off and that we’ve managed to make it worthwhile. And, of course, I am incredibly happy to have experienced this moment.”
Piastri had previously won a Sprint last year in Qatar, but one can imagine that doing it during a Grand Prix has a different flavor.
“It’s very different. I think winning the Sprint… It has always been a bit awkward, in my opinion. It’s a win, but not really a win. I am much prouder of this win than the Sprint win. Sure, it was a special moment back then, but now, having no questions, no question marks about whether I’m a race winner or not, is a very pleasant feeling to have. And yes, the emotion is really different.”
However, it is surprising that McLaren F1 did not choose to pit Piastri before Lando Norris to avoid the chaotic end of the race situation, and the Australian driver admits that there will need to be a discussion about the tactics adopted with his team.
“I mean, I’m sure it’s something we’ll discuss as a team. You know, the information I had at the time was that Lando was stopping earlier to cover Lewis, and I was going longer to essentially cover Max, because I knew he would stop later, and I think we were just being very cautious. Of course, this gave Lando an advantage, and maybe made things a bit more complicated than they needed to be. But yes, I’m sure it’s something we’ll bring up.”
However, Piastri never feared that his teammate would not return his position.
“I don’t think I was really worried. The only thing that slightly concerned me was that if there had been a safety car, we would no longer have had the situation in hand, we wouldn’t have had control. So that’s the only thing that concerned me a bit. But, you know, we had discussed it at the time of the stop, saying that we would sort it out. And, yes, I mean, I had full confidence in all the team members, including Lando, that we would get it done.”
The situation was also made more complicated by the fact that Piastri couldn’t close the gap on Norris during the final stint, despite having tires that were two laps fresher.
“Yes, I mean, I think throughout the race, we were very close to each other. I think the dirty air made a big difference. My position in the last stint didn’t make much of a difference. I think ultimately, I just wasn’t as fast as I needed to be in the last stint. It’s something I want to improve and, you know, I’m very, very happy with the result, of course, but as for leaving the weekend, you know, with the question of whether I’m fully satisfied with my performance that Sunday? No, I’m not. And there are still things I want to improve. Yes, I mean, I think the track position made a very big difference. That’s why the start I had was so important. Yes, I think ultimately, I didn’t have the pace I wanted in the last race. And I still need to go see why that was the case.”
A Tribute to the “massive influence” of Mark Webber on His Career
Despite this incredible achievement, Oscar Piastri remained composed during the celebrations, attributing this to his personality.
“I’m not really the type to get overly emotional. So, you know, I don’t think you’ll see that from me any day. But no, it’s an incredible feeling. As I said, it’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a child. You know, we’ve had a few opportunities in the last few races and we’ve come very close. And yes, it’s an incredible feeling to achieve it now. It’s a very nice feeling, but hard to describe and feel sometimes.”
Before Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo, the last Australian to have won in Formula 1 was Mark Webber, who now manages the McLaren driver’s career. Piastri thus speaks about the importance of his manager and his impact on him.
“I mean, his influence has been massive in many ways. I think first and foremost it’s important to say that Mark and Ann have played a significant role at many levels. I think behind the scenes, they’ve done an incredible job for me in my career, from my junior career, entering Formula 1, working with McLaren, they’ve had a huge influence on me. I think there are always little pieces of advice and things like that. I mean, Mark had a successful career, but most things have a bigger picture. And Mark obviously had a long and successful career in Formula 1. And I’ve said it several times, the hindsight he has on his career is my foresight. He can help me avoid some pitfalls, some flaws he may have experienced during his career. His influence is incredibly important. And you know, I also think for me that he was part of a team that won championships for a large part of his career and I think that’s not just important for me, but for the whole team to have.”
However, we shouldn’t expect to see Piastri mimic Daniel Ricciardo’s “shoey” to celebrate this victory!
“The shoey is Danny Ric’s thing. I mean, I’m going to get caught because I’m Australian, but I don’t know. I’ll try to find something new. No, I think it’s a thing of the past. I know we did one at Silverstone last week, but I think we were a bit upset after the race and we needed to lift our spirits. Maybe we’ll do one on the plane on the way back. We can probably afford the cleaning fee now. But no, I’ll leave that to Danny Ric and it can be his legacy. I’ll create my own.”
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Piastri’s Qatar Sprint Win: ‘Special’ Victory Piastri’s Qatar Sprint Win: ‘Special’ Victory Piastri’s Qatar Sprint Win: ‘Special’ Victory
