Mark Webber says Oscar Piastri faces more pressure in F1 debut because he did not buy his way in

Former Aussie F1 star Mark Webber says expectations for Oscar Piastri are high after a tremendous junior career, as he prepares to make his debut for McLaren.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 22: Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren looks on in the garage during Formula 1 testing at Yas Marina Circuit on November 22, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Mark Webber admits Australian young gun Oscar Piastri faces heightened expectations in his rookie Formula One season owing to his dominant junior career and because he had not “paid his way into the sport”.

As he declared Piastri was in a “brilliant frame of mind” ahead of his Formula One debut for McLaren early next month, former Red Bull star Webber expected there to be more intense focus on the 21-year-old racer after his commanding results in junior formulae.

Thanks @McLarenF1 for a great first day 😀🧡

🍿 https://t.co/HVGcuNKprKpic.twitter.com/xbBwIj7gpV

— Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) February 3, 2023

After winning the Formula 2 crown in 2021 - his third title in as many years - Piastri was forced to sit on the sidelines as a reserve driver for Alpine after he was unable to secure a Formula One drive last year.

In one of the big stories of the F1 season last year, Piastri eventually signed with McLaren as fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement after the British team sacked the eight-time Grand Prix winner in August with a year still to run on his contract.

Piastri is regarded as one of the hottest young talents to enter the sport, having won the F3 and F2 championships in consecutive years - a feat only previously achieved by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell.

Oscar Piastri’s special junior career has meant the pressure is on for his F1 debut. Picture: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Webber, the nine-time Grand Prix winner who manages the young Australian, said Piastri’s impending debut was a “huge moment” but the Melbourne racer was expected to do well.

“His junior career, it has been special,” Webber said.

“A lot of people are interested in Oscar because of the tremendous work he did in his junior categories which is on a par with Charles (Leclerc) and with George (Russell).

“I know the Australians are excited about him as are a lot of people overseas and the sport in general.

“He hasn’t paid his way into the sport. There is no pressure on those drivers because they don’t expect to get results whereas Oscar is expected to do well and rightly so because he comes with a brilliant progression up to this point in his career.

“As did Lando (Norris), Charles, George, Lewis (Hamilton), Max (Verstappen). All the really top, top kids, they come with, I suppose, people are looking to see how they go because they did so well in the junior categories.

“He has got good form coming into the sport but he also knows that he has got to establish himself. That takes experience and time.”

Oscar Piastri finds himself under greater pressure due to not paying his way into F1 according to Mark Webber. Picture: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Piastri made his on-track debut for McLaren at the team’s postseason test in Abu Dhabi in late November after his year stuck on the sidelines in the Alpine garage.

Webber said Piastri had put last year’s contract headlines behind him and he was focused on launching into the F1 career he “totally deserves”.

“There are not many drivers that like to sit on the sidelines, so that was just something that we had to deal with,” Webber said.

“It’s in the past, naturally it was a blow and it wasn’t ideal to have a year out after such an extraordinary junior career, but that is just sometimes how the sport rolls.

“He has put that behind him, absolutely, and now he’s got a race in F1 and that’s what he deserves and he has been working hard towards it for over 12 years.”

Webber was hesitant to make predictions about Piastri’s debut season in F1, but said he would

“He has gone into every championship with modest expectations, but ultimately he is a competitor, he really is, he wants to do well and he wants to represent himself in the best way that he can,” Webber said.

“He will do his absolute best, there is no doubt about that. There’s a guide with Lando, but it is just that, he’s going to focus on himself and do everything he can within his powers to improve every weekend and start this journey.

“This is the best field in the world and he knows that there is going to be a tremendous amount of brilliant learning (for him) …. and he is ready for that.”

Webber expected Piastri to be embraced “brilliantly” by Australian Formula One fans.

“As Daniel did 13 years ago, he is going to make his debut and he is going to do his absolute best,” Webber said.

“It’s been a long time coming for all the work and effort he has put in. Like all of us before him, whether it was myself or Daniel or Jack (Brabham) or AJ (Alan Jones), it’s a huge, huge moment when you compete in your first Grand Prix for lots of reasons.

“He is in a brilliant frame of mind and we are all excited. We just want to press the fast forward button a bit now and get going and get into it.”

Originally published as Mark Webber says Oscar Piastri faces more pressure in F1 debut because he did not buy his way in