The fast track to the top for Melbourne Formula 1 rising star Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri’s freakish natural talent made him stand out on the Oakleigh go-kart track, now the Australian Grand Prix boss is singing his praises.

Oscar Piastri and Prema Racing prepare to race at Sochi Autodrom. Picture: Getty Images

Australian Grand Prix boss Andrew Westacott hopes the influx of Australian talent in the ranks of Formula 1 and Formula 2 racing will see attendance at Albert Park in 2023 eclipse the huge turnout at the track for this year’s race.

Westacott, the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, said having Australia’s rising star Oscar Piastri set to take his place on the grid in 2023 would add huge appeal to the Australian F1 race.

In April this year 128,894 attended the Australian Grand Prix race day on the Sunday, with 123,247 being at the track for qualifying on the Saturday, and 112,446 flooding to Albert Park for the practice sessions on the Friday.

The goal now is to smash those figures for next year.

“We are doing the work to grow the appeal of the race and the reach of the event,” Westacott said.

Oscar Piastri in the sprint race of the Formula 2 Championship in Sochi, Russia. Picture: Getty Images

“We see a big part in the further lift in the appeal of the event for 2023 in having Australian young gun Oscar Piastri on the grid.

“And I still remain hopeful that we will have eight time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo there, but in new team colours for the 2023 season.

“We showed this year that there is an unbelievable appetite for Formula 1 in Melbourne along with entertainment including home grown Australian music talent.”

Westacott said the addition of Formula 2 and Formula 3 racing to the Australian Grand Prix program would further lift the interest of the event to motorsport fans.

Piastri and Prema Racing celebrate on the podium in Sochi. Picture: Getty Images

“In 2023 we will have F2 and F3 at Albert Park which will include the next era of Australian and New Zealand Formula 1 drivers including Jack Doohan and Calan Williams and Liam Lawson,” Westacott said.

“We are very hopeful of cracking the 100,000 mark on both days of the race weekend next year.”

He praised Melbourne-born Piastri as one of the biggest up-and-comers of F1.

“One of the things that you hear about Oscar is that not only does he have the on-track results from winning the championship in Formula 3 and Formula 2, but the calmness, the maturity and the wise head on young shoulders,” he said.

Piastri began his the Oakleigh Go Kart track, aged 10.

A 13-year-old Oscar Piastri was a Melbourne go kart champion.

His junior karting coach, James Sera, saw freakish natural talent the first time he raced.

“I said to my wife, Sam, the first time seeing him drive at Oakleigh that this kid is going to make it to Formula one,” Sera said.

“He raced radio control cars with (his father) Chris in Baroona. He came into my shop, they were getting into go karting and Chris brought a go-kart and he started racing straight away.

“He was a smooth driver and he knew the lines – and he’d never really driven a go-kart before and was extremely fast.”

Karting Australia chief executive Kelvin O’Reilly witnessed Piastri’s “tremendous skills” as he quickly rose to the Australian Kart Championships – the highest level of go-kart racing in Australia – competing in 107 events.

O’Reilly believed Piastri would be a serious driver before he was a teenager.

He was not just impressed by Piastri’s “talent” but also the manner “he conducted himself, being courteous to his fellow competitors and officials”.

Piastri won the Race of Star event on the Gold Coast and the opening round of the Australian Kart Championship in Port Melbourne in 2015, before the 14-year-old relocated to Europe to drive FA Kart for the 2016 season.

He won his first overseas major title aged 18.

Motorsport Australia awarded Piastri the Sir Jack Brabham award for his efforts in 2020 and 2021.