Melbourne-raised Piastri on the cusp of F1 breakthrough

Melbourne’s Formula One hopeful Oscar Piastri was one failed COVID-19 test away from making his grand prix debut earlier this year - and the youngster’s desire to scale the peaks of his sport has only been whetted by the experience.

Piastri is back in his home town for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix because he is the Alpine team’s reserve driver, the back-up should any ill fortune befall former F1 world champion Fernando Alonso and his team-mate Esteban Ocon over the next few days.

But Piastri’s big F1 breakthrough almost occurred in Bahrain last month thanks to his countryman, high-profile star Daniel Ricciardo, who had tested positive for COVID-19 in the lead up to the first race of the season.

Centre of attention: Oscar Piastri.Credit: Joe Armao

There were fears that the West Australian would not be fit enough to take his place on the grid - and if not Piastri would have been loaned by his Alpine team to Ricciardo’s McLaren squad to take his place.

In the end Ricciardo recovered in time, but it gave Sandringham-raised Piastri, who turns 21 on Wednesday, the closest experience yet of what it was like to prepare for a race at his sport’s highest level - and he loved what he felt.

“I am Alpine’s reserve driver first, and they take priority, but if McLaren drivers can’t race for whatever reason, then I am in their pool of reserve drivers,” Piastri explained. “It doesn’t mean I am guaranteed to race, but I am an option. The partnership between Alpine and McLaren is for the whole season.

“It was certainly a tense and nerve wracking few days waiting ... I was certainly preparing as if I was going to be needed for the weekend.

“I wasn’t [nervous] but those few days where it was a bit uncertain - there was certainly a mix of emotions.

Melbourne’s Oscar Piastri is a reserve driver for Formula One outfit Alpine.Credit: Getty Images

“I sat in their car to make sure I [could] fit, that was the first step. If I had to jump in I knew roughly what I had to do, but I haven’t driven any of the 2022 cars, so it would have been pretty much at the deep-end.”

Piastri’s confidence in his ability to take up the challenge of driving an F1 car is not misplaced given his remarkable record in junior grades.

He won both the F3 and F2 world championships at the first time of asking and believes he is equipped to follow in the footsteps of the two other drivers who have achieved the feat - Ferrari’s Monacan driver Charles Leclerc and Mercedes British pilot George Russell.

“I think I definitely am (ready). I had the Formula Renault championship the year before that as well, so with three championships and the top three steps on the single-seater ladder towards F1 I definitely think I am ready to join the grid. I would be very grateful for an opportunity,” Piastri said.

So, how frustrating is it to be sitting in the team garage rather than competing - especially when the driver you beat in the F2 championship, China’s Zhou Guanyu, is in the field driving for Alfa Romeo?

“I wouldn’t say extremely frustrating, no,” Piastri said. “Motorsport is not purely on talent, especially F1 where there are other factors involved. Obviously money is a big factor. Timing is another.”

Piastri is hoping to follow in a growing line of Australian drivers. The late Sir Jack Brabham and Piastri’s fellow Melburnian Alan Jones won world titles, while Mark Webber (Piastri’s manager) and Ricciardo have won grands prix.

The lineage inspires him, and he knows that for the sport in this country having a driver at the highest level is important. But his motivation is primarily to be the best he can be.

“It’s first and foremost for myself that I want to be on the grid, but Mark overlapping with Daniel and if a similar thing could happen [with me] it would be awesome to have two Aussies back on the grid.”

Ricciardo has been helpful when the pair meet, but Piastri stresses that both men have responsibilities to their teams and to themselves.

“He’s very busy with his own career and we are not on the same team either,” Piastri said. “Of course he is very friendly and chatty when we cross paths, but I am not expecting him to help me out either. He is busy with his own career and that’s the way it is.”

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