Oscar Piastri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oscar Piastri
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![]() Piastri at the 2024 British Grand Prix
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Born |
Oscar Jack Piastri
6 April 2001 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Awards | Full list |
Formula One World Championship career | |
Nationality | ![]() |
Car number | 81 |
Entries | 51 (51 starts) |
Championships | 0 |
Wins | 5 |
Podiums | 14 |
Career points | 488 |
Pole positions | 2 |
Fastest laps | 4 |
First entry | 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix |
First win | 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix |
Last win | 2025 Dutch Grand Prix |
Last entry | 2025 Singapore Grand Prix |
2024 position | 4th (292 pts) |
Previous series | |
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Championship titles | |
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Signature | |
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Oscar Jack Piastri (born April 6, 2001) is an Australian racing driver. He competes in Formula One for the McLaren team. Piastri has won several Formula One Grands Prix and is known for his calm driving style. He quickly rose through junior racing categories, winning championships in Formula Renault, Formula 3, and Formula 2 before joining Formula One.
Early Life and Racing Beginnings
Oscar Piastri was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father, Chris Piastri, owned a company that made software for cars. This company helped sponsor Oscar's early racing career. Oscar grew up with three younger sisters. He loved cars from a young age, starting with remote-controlled cars in his backyard when he was six.
When he was 14, Oscar moved to England with his father. He wanted to pursue his racing dreams in Europe. He attended a special school there on a sports scholarship. During this time, he traveled a lot for karting competitions across different European countries. Later, famous Australian Grand Prix winner Mark Webber and his wife became Oscar's managers. They helped him get into Formula One.
Junior Racing Career
Karting Success (2011–2016)
Oscar Piastri started kart racing at age 10 in Australia. He quickly showed talent, winning many state championships between 2013 and 2015. His success led him to compete internationally in Europe from 2015. He continued to perform well in European karting. He finished sixth in the Karting World Championship in his final karting race.
Climbing the Formula Ranks (2016–2021)
Oscar began his junior formulae career in 2016. He raced in the Formula 4 UAE Championship. Then, he became runner-up in the F4 British Championship in 2017, winning six races.
He then moved to Formula Renault Eurocup. In 2019, he won the championship with seven victories. This was a big step in his career.


In 2020, Oscar joined the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Prema Racing. He won two races and secured the championship title in a very close battle.
The next year, 2021, he moved up to the FIA Formula 2 Championship, also with Prema. He had an amazing rookie season, winning six races and taking the championship title. This made him one of only a few drivers to win the Formula 2 title in their first year. He is also the only driver to win Formula Renault, Formula 3, and Formula 2 championships in a row!
Formula One Career
Becoming a Test Driver (2020–2022)
Oscar joined the Renault Sport Academy in 2020. This program helps young drivers prepare for Formula One. He spent several years as a test and reserve driver for the Alpine team. He drove their F1 cars in private tests to gain experience. In 2022, he was also available as a reserve driver for McLaren.
The Move to McLaren (2022)
In 2022, there was a discussion about which Formula One team Oscar would drive for in 2023. Alpine announced that he would join them. However, Oscar stated he had not signed a contract with them. A special board, called the FIA Contract Recognition Board, looked into the situation. They decided that Oscar was free to join another team. Soon after, it was announced that Oscar Piastri would join McLaren for the 2023 season. He became teammates with Lando Norris.
Formula One Debut and First Wins (2023–Present)

Oscar made his Formula One debut with McLaren in 2023. It was his rookie season, and he quickly showed his talent. He achieved his first podium finish at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix. He also won his first sprint race at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. He finished ninth in the championship standings.
In 2024, Oscar continued to impress. He achieved his first Grand Prix victory at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. This made him the fifth Australian driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix. He secured another victory at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. McLaren also won the World Constructors' Championship that year, with Oscar playing a key role. He finished fourth in the World Drivers' Championship.
The 2025 season saw Oscar Piastri as one of the top contenders for the World Drivers' Championship. He signed a new contract with McLaren, keeping him with the team until at least 2028. He achieved his first pole position at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix and won the race. He also secured victories in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Miami, Spain, and Belgium. He also won the sprint race at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix. Oscar was in a close title battle with his teammate, Lando Norris, throughout the season. He led the championship for a significant part of the year, showing great skill and determination.

As of October 6, 2025, Oscar Piastri has achieved a total of 7 race wins, 2 pole positions, 3 fastest laps, and 18 podium finishes in Formula One.
Driver Profile
Calmness Under Pressure
Oscar Piastri is well-known for staying calm even when racing is very intense. Many drivers and experts have noticed his relaxed and focused approach. After winning the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, one journalist said that "stress isn’t an emotion one would associate with Piastri." This calm nature helps him make smart decisions during races. Some have even compared his cool style to legendary drivers like Alain Prost and Kimi Räikkönen.
Learning and Improving
Oscar is also praised for how quickly he learns and adapts. His race engineers have noted his ability to spot problems during a race and fix them. He learned a lot from his mistakes in junior categories. In his first Formula One season, he worked on improving his tyre management. By 2025, he had become even better at managing tyres and his qualifying speed, making him a very strong competitor.
Personal Life
Oscar Piastri is a big fan of Australian sports. He supports the Australian rules football team Richmond. He also follows the Australia national cricket team. He supports the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. Oscar has been dating Lily Zneimer, an engineering graduate, since before he finished school in 2019.
Awards and Honours
- FIA Rookie of the Year: 2021, 2023
- Autosport Awards Rookie of the Year: 2020, 2021, 2023
- Lorenzo Bandini Trophy: 2025
- Anthoine Hubert Award: 2021
- Sir Jack Brabham Award: 2020, 2021, 2024
- Joe Tandy Memorial Trophy: 2017
- Victorian Sports Awards Young Athlete of the Year: 2021
Racing Career Summary
Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
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2016–17 | Formula 4 UAE Championship | Dragon F4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 94 | 6th |
2017 | F4 British Championship | TRS Arden Junior Team | 30 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 376.5 | 2nd |
Formula Renault Northern European Cup | Arden Motorsport | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 21st | |
2018 | Formula Renault Eurocup | Arden Motorsport | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 110 | 8th |
Formula Renault Northern European Cup | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | N/A | NC† | ||
2019 | Formula Renault Eurocup | R-ace GP | 19 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 320 | 1st |
2020 | FIA Formula 3 Championship | Prema Racing | 18 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 164 | 1st |
Formula One | Renault DP World F1 Team | Test driver | |||||||
2021 | FIA Formula 2 Championship | Prema Racing | 23 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 252.5 | 1st |
Formula One | Alpine F1 Team | Test driver | |||||||
2022 | Formula One | BWT Alpine F1 Team | Reserve driver | ||||||
McLaren F1 Team | |||||||||
2023 | Formula One | McLaren F1 Team | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 97 | 9th |
2024 | Formula One | McLaren F1 Team | 24 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 292 | 4th |
2025 | Formula One | McLaren F1 Team | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 99* | 1st* |
Source: |
† As Piastri was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
* Season still in progress.
See also
In Spanish: Oscar Piastri para niños