With the recent rise of McLaren, driver Oscar Piastri is increasingly in the spotlight. While Lando Norris already enjoyed a certain popularity, having been in Formula 1 for nearly six seasons, his Australian teammate truly stepped into the limelight this year. Despite two race victories and multiple praises from prominent figures within Formula 1, the 23-year-old driver always manages to keep a cool head.
Oscar Piastri has built a reputation over the past year as one of the coolest drivers on the grid. The young Australian doesn’t easily get flustered, even in the heat of battle. Where his competitors sometimes rant and rave over the radio, Piastri never seems to lose his calm demeanor. “Some people need a bit of excitement to bring out their best,” he explained in a recent press release. “For me, however, staying calm is essential. I make the best decisions with a clear mind.”
“It’s very easy to get distracted by things going wrong on or off the track,” Piastri continued. “It would be very easy to let that distract you, but that’s why you have to stay mentally strong and focus on what’s really important. I think that was new territory for Formula 1 drivers until recently. But just as the engineers try to squeeze milliseconds out of the car, you as a driver have to squeeze milliseconds out of yourself. That self-confidence is therefore very important.”
Early Lessons Lead to Lifelong Success
For Australian Oscar Piastri, the journey to Formula 1 was perhaps extra challenging. At the age of fourteen, he left Melbourne for England, hoping to eventually make it to the premier class. “You learn at a young age that you have to work hard and always persevere,” he said. “Of course, I had help from my parents, but only over the phone. As a result, there were many situations where I had to figure things out for myself at a young age. It teaches you to be independent and to know what is important and what is not.”
Piastri explained how these experiences contributed to his relaxed temperament, which serves him well both on and off the track. “Deep down, as a driver and as a person, you know whether you’re doing a good job or not, and I think I have a good sense for that,” he elaborated. “Using that as a guide and basing your happiness on it is a good way to work. It’s better than listening to what others have to say, whether it’s positive or negative.”
In this way, Piastri is most critical of himself. “In the end, just because people say you’re doing well doesn’t mean that’s the case, and vice versa,” he concluded. “Sometimes the results are better than expected, given my performance. But at other times, the results don’t reflect that I’ve really performed well.”
