Australian driver Oscar Piastri wins Formula 3 world championship

The future of Australian racing has been unveiled, with a teenage phenom claiming the 2020 Formula 3 championship in dramatic scenes.

Australia’s future racing icon has been unveiled, with a teenage phenom claiming the 2020 FIA Formula 3 championship in dramatic scenes.

Australian driver Oscar Piastri has officially won the 2020 FIA Formula 3 championship after an enthralling final race.

Representing Prema Racing, Piastri finished the 18-race season just three points ahead of French rival Theo Pourchaire and four points ahead of teammate Logan Sargeant, who claimed second and third respectively.

Watch the 2020 Formula One™ Ferrari 1000 Tuscan GP LIVE on KAYO. Every practice, qualifying session and race LIVE. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >

During race two at Mugello, the 19-year-old crossed the line in seventh after narrowly crossing the ahead of Venezuela’s Sebastian Fernandez.

Sargeant had a slim chance of winning the F3 championship heading into the final race, but crashed in the opening lap after making contact with Germany’s Lirim Zendeli.

New Zealand driver Liam Lawson won Sunday’s 21-lap reverse-grid race in Italy, but all the attention was on the Aussie teenager.

Piastri even has the AUDACITY to take seventh on the line from Fernandez!#TuscanGP 🇮🇹 #F3 pic.twitter.com/xqUETy5E9s

— Formula 3 (@FIAFormula3) September 13, 2020

🏁 TOP TEN (LAP 21/21) 🏁

Lawson
Beckmann
Pourchaire
Fittipaldi
Verschoor
Hughes
Piastri
Fernandez
Vesti
Smolyar#TuscanGP 🇮🇹 #F3 pic.twitter.com/tGEiVCVHBc

— Formula 3 (@FIAFormula3) September 13, 2020

Piastri’s title was in doubt when a DRS system saw him finish 11th in race one at Mugello, but clinching seventh on Sunday was enough to top the standings.

After the race, Piastri conceded: “I am exhausted, it was tough, the last few weeks have tested me emotionally. I have been consistent throughout the year and keeping my head cool has been the biggest thing for me.’’

Piastri also expressed remorse for his unlucky teammate: “I feel so bad for Logan, so sorry for Logan.”

During the 2020 season, Piastri secured two wins — at races in Speilberg and Barcelona — along with six podium finishes and four fastest laps.

It was an immensely competitive championship, with nine different race winners throughout the season, none achieving the feat more than twice.

🏆 OSCAR PIASTRI IS FORMULA 3 CHAMPION! 🏆#TuscanGP 🇮🇹 #F3 pic.twitter.com/DxmpWXncfX

— Formula 3 (@FIAFormula3) September 13, 2020

Piastri has tasted success on the track before — in 2019, the Melbourne phenom won the Formula Renault Eurocup event, winning seven of the 19 races.

Piastri has cemented himself as a future star of motorsport, and will almost certainly make his debut appearance in Formula 2 in the coming years.

“I started racing remote control cars when I was about six, so long before any actual kind of motorsport,” Piastri told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Both my pop and grandad are mechanics and they have always followed motorsport, and my dad’s business was a car tuning company, so he has always been massively into it. It was just unfortunate when he was much younger he didn’t have the funding to do anything serious in motorsport.

“I am the first one in the family to do some racing myself, but the passion has been in the family for quite a long time.”

Australia's Oscar Piastri is the new #F3 champion! 🇦🇺

After a nailbiting title race, the 19-year-old won the championship by just 3 points from Theo Pourchaire, with Logan Sargeant another point back #TuscanGP 🇮🇹 @FIAFormula3 pic.twitter.com/DMNxbTxC0G

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2020

FORMULA 3 FINAL DRIVER STANDINGS

1. Oscar Piastri — 164

2. Theo Pourchaire — 161

3. Logan Sargeant — 160

4. Frederik Vesti — 146.5

5. Liam Lawson — 143

6. David Beckmann — 139.5

7. Jake Hughes — 111.5

8. Lirim Zendeli — 104

9. Richard Verschoor — 69

10. Alex Peroni — 64

11. Alexander Smolyar — 59

12. Clement Novalak — 45

13. Bent Viscaal — 40

14. Sebastian Fernandez — 31

15. Enzo Fittipaldi — 27

16. Olli Caldwell — 18

17. Dennis Hauger — 14

18. Matteo Nannini — 11

19. Pierre-Louis Chovet — 5

20. Max Fewtrell — 5

21. Roman Stanek — 3

22. Ben Barnicoat — 1

23. Michael Belov — 1

24. Igor Fraga1 — 1