F1 legend Sebastian Vettel believes the time is right for Oscar Piastri to end Australia’s Grand Prix pain
Oscar Piastri has already won two Grand Prix races. He’s been the F1 rookie of the year. Now the blistering Aussie star is ready to deliver on his home track, one F1 legend believes.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An unlikely kindred spirit, German Formula 1 legend Sebastian Vettel understands better than most the enormous pressure Australian ace Oscar Piastri will be under during next weekend’s season-opening Grand Prix at Albert Park.
While they hardly know each other, primarily because they are 14 years apart in age and Vettel retired before Piastri made his F1 debut in 2023, the four-time world champion has been impressed by the young Melburnian.
“I think he’s doing a phenomenal job,” Vettel told this masthead in an exclusive interview.
“Oscar definitely deserves his place
“We mustn’t forget that it’s only his third season he’s going into now.”
Still the youngest driver ever to win the world championship, Vettel won the first of his four consecutive titles with Red Bull in 2010, when he was just 23 and also in his third season in F1.
Piastri turns 24 in April so can’t break Vettel’s record, even if he did manage to win the title this year and join Jack Brabham (1959, 1960, 1966) and Alan Jones (1980) as Australia’s third champion.
Like Vettel did, Piastri has made a huge impression in his first two seasons in motor racing’s premier category, winning rookie of the year in 2023 then two Grands Prix in 2024 to help McLaren win the constructors’ title for the time since 1998.
Vettel won four constructors’ titles with Red Bull, teaming up with Mark Webber, who is now Piastri’s manager. He then partnered with another Aussie favourite, Daniel Ricciardo.
His first-hand experience of racing alongside Australian drivers taught him they are among the most skilful and determined in the world and Vettel sees those same attributes in Piastri.
“He comes across like a different character but he’s one for the future to watch,” Vettel said.
“He could be a serious contender maybe already this year if McLaren gives him the car and he’s able to step up again like he did after his first season you could have a world champion, it’s been a while since you had one.”
Vettel also witnessed the extra pressure his co-drivers were subjected to when the F1 circus rolled into Melbourne and expects Piastri will face even more scrutiny because no Australian driver has finished on the podium in a home Grand Prix that’s been part of the world championship series.
Despite winning 53 races during his spectacular F1 career, Vettel only won his home Grand Prix in Germany once, in 2013.
He does think Piastri will cope with the extra attention but warned, from his own experience, that it can be hard.
“Australians are very enthusiastic when it comes to racing cars,” Vettel said.
“It was special for Mark and it was special for Daniel coming to Australia. So I know the expectations are high for him, but I think he’s different to those two again.
“The pressure comes more from the inside. You turn up the first time and it’s a privilege and it’s nice. You turn up the second time, especially when you have a good car, and you’re turning up to win, not just trying to do your best. It’s a different approach.
“With the car that he had last year, I think Oscar can do really well and not just get a nice couple of points, but also fight for the win.”
Vettel had far more success in Australia than his own country, taking the checkered flag at Melbourne on three separate occasions: with Red Bull in 2011, then behind the wheel of a Ferrari in 2017 and 2018.
He is fond of the Albert Park street circuit but says it is a tricky track that demands the very best from any drivers with serious ambitions of winning.
“Obviously, you need to be in the right environment and the right car and the right team,” he said.
“It will be the first race so it’s difficult to judge now who’s going to be the favourite but it looks like McLaren.
“It’s easy to make a mistake but it’s a good Grand Prix, an exciting Grand Prix for people to watch and also from the inside.
“It’s always exciting for the winner but it’s also more exciting in general because the sun is low, it’s late in the day, and depending on the time of year and how the summer’s been, some leaves are starting to fall and it’s easy to get caught out.
“I think the track has been resurfaced. It used to be very bumpy, which really was a big character of the track, so it was easy to lock up, or do a mistake and run wide.
“By resurfacing, you might have lost a bit of that soul but eventually the bumps are so strong underneath they will come through again.
“It’s a great atmosphere and it’s great that Melbourne is kicking it off again.”
More Coverage
Originally published as F1 legend Sebastian Vettel believes the time is right for Oscar Piastri to end Australia’s Grand Prix pain
Cricket furore over ‘most meaningless win’
There has been more heartbreak for New Zealand after defeat in the Champions Trophy final with many fans saying the same thing.
Daicos fitness fears dismissed as Giants count heavy cost of victory
Nick Daicos was unable to handle the heat of the Orange Tsunami in Sydney, but Craig McRae was quick to dismiss any fitness concerns for the Pie, while GWS have injury concerns of their own.