F1 Australian Grand Prix news: Mark Webber says Oscar Piastri is relaxed and ready for home race

Oscar Piastri is feeling no additional pressure despite only his third career F1 race being a home Grand Prix. His manager Mark Webber outlines his expectations.

Mark Webber says his young charge Oscar Piastri has not needed any advice about how to handle his Australian Grand Prix debut, declaring the McLaren rookie relaxed and ready to attack his first race at Albert Park.

As Webber tipped Red Bull to dominate at the Melbourne circuit this weekend, the nine-time Grand Prix winner described Piastri’s debut in his home race as a “tremendous moment” for the 21-year-old Melburnian.

Already touted as a future world champion by Australian Formula 1 great Alan Jones, Piastri arrives for his first race at the Albert Park circuit after a challenging start to the year for his team McLaren.

But Webber, who manages Piastri, said the rising star was not feeling any extra pressure ahead of his home race.

Aussie F1 driver Oscar Piastri feeling at home at the Brighton bathing boxes. Picture: David Caird

“It’s a tremendous moment for him to race here,” Webber said on Wednesday.

“He’s looking forward to it, he is very relaxed. It’s one race of 23 on the calendar, it’s a home race, of course, but he is looking forward to getting the paddock and starting work.

“I don’t think (he is feeling extra pressure). Once the helmet is on and he’s in the car and he’s driving around the track, he wants a result at every single circuit around the world, no matter if it’s Bahrain, or Saudi (Arabia) or here or Imola.

“He doesn’t need any (advice from me). He is very much looking forward to the weekend.”

Piastri retired with technical problems in the opening race in Bahrain, but his prospects in the second race in Saudi Arabia were crushed by first-lap contact after starting from eighth.

Webber said Piastri had already shown good progress behind the wheel in just two races after sitting out 2022 as a reserve driver for Alpine.

“(He has shown) good progression, he is just learning,” Webber said at an activation for Porsche at the Albert Park track.

“He has had so long out. It just shows you that it is still even hard to take now, obviously the gap that he had. So, he is getting back up to speed and learning as much as he can.

“I’m proud of Oscar ….it has been a long, long journey and he has worked hard to get to this point and he is now at the start of, hopefully, a long journey, which is tremendous for him.

“It’s a feather in his cap so far.”

Should Melbourne’s wet weather persist, Webber did not expect Piastri to have any issues adapting to the wet in an F1 car.

“He has had a long career in junior categories and driven in all conditions,” Webber said.

“So he has had results in most conditions, so I think he will be pretty comfortable.”

But Webber did not want to buy into any comparisons between Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

“We’re not here to make comparisons with Lando,” Webber said.

“Oscar is doing his own thing, staying in his lane and working hard with the team.”

After world champion Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez took out the opening two races for Red Bull, Webber predicted his former team would again be the one to beat in Melbourne.

“I think Red Bull will dominate,” Webber said.

“Red Bull will dominate, they will be very strong in all conditions.

“We haven’t seen the best of them yet. I think they’ve had the ash-tray out for a while, so they’re just cruising past, you haven’t seen everything yet. Red Bull will be very strong.”

Originally published as F1 Australian Grand Prix news: Mark Webber says Oscar Piastri is relaxed and ready for home race