Oscar Piastri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oscar Piastri
Piastri in 2024
Born	Oscar Jack Piastri (2001-04-06) 6 April 2001 (age 24) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Awards	Full list
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Australian
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	2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Last entry	2019 Monaco Grand Prix
2024 position	4th (292 pts)
Previous series
2021 2020 2018–2019 2017 2016–2017	FIA Formula 2 FIA Formula 3 Formula Renault Eurocup F4 British F4 UAE
Championship titles
2021 2020 2019	FIA Formula 2 FIA Formula 3 Formula Renault Eurocup

Oscar Jack Piastri (pronounced pee-AST-ree; born 6 April 2001) is a professional racing driver from Australia. He currently competes in Formula One for the McLaren team. Oscar has won five Formula One races.

Oscar was born and grew up in Melbourne, Australia. He started racing small remote-controlled cars. When he was nine, he moved into karting, which is a type of racing with small, open-wheel vehicles. In 2016, he began racing in bigger junior series. He won his first championship in 2019 in the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup. After that, he won the FIA Formula 3 and FIA Formula 2 championships in a row. This made him one of only a few drivers to win the Formula 2 title in their first season. Oscar is the only driver ever to win Formula Renault, Formula 3, and Formula 2 championships in three consecutive seasons.

From 2020 to 2022, Oscar was part of the Alpine Academy. In 2023, he joined McLaren to race alongside Lando Norris. This happened after a disagreement about his contract with the Alpine team. Oscar made his Formula One debut at the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix. He earned his first podium finish (a top-three spot) in his first season at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix. In 2024, Oscar achieved his first Formula One victory in Hungary. He became the fifth Australian driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix. He won again in Azerbaijan. In 2025, he got his first pole position at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix.

As of the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri has five race wins, two pole positions, four fastest laps, and 14 podiums in Formula One. He is signed to stay with McLaren until at least the end of the 2028 season.

Oscar's Early Racing Years

Starting in Karting

Oscar Piastri first raced remote-controlled cars at a national level. He then began his karting career in 2011. In 2014, he became a professional kart racer and competed in Australian championships. The next year, he started racing in Europe. He joined international karting championships with Ricky Flynn Motorsport. In 2016, he moved to the United Kingdom to focus more on his racing. He finished sixth in the 2016 World Championship in Bahrain.

Racing in Formula 4

Piastri racing in British F4 in 2017

In 2016, Oscar got his first big sponsorship from HP Tuners. This company was founded by his father. This sponsorship helped fund his racing career. You could see their logo on his racing suit and car in later series. Later in 2016, Oscar started racing single-seater cars in the 2016-17 Formula 4 UAE Championship. He got two podium finishes and ended up sixth in the championship. In 2017, Oscar joined the TRS Arden Junior Racing Team for the British F4 championship. He won six races and got six pole positions. He finished as the runner-up in the championship.

Formula Renault Eurocup Success

Piastri racing at Monza in the 2018 Formula Renault Eurocup Championship

In 2018, Oscar made his debut in the 2018 Formula Renault Eurocup with Arden. He achieved three podiums, with his best finish being second place. He finished ninth in the championship that year. In December 2018, it was announced that Oscar would switch to the R-ace GP team for the 2019 championship. He won his first race in the series at Silverstone. He won again at the same track the next day. In July, he became the first driver to win three races in 2019 after a victory at Spa-Francorchamps. He became the champion after winning a race and finishing fourth at the final event.

Winning the FIA Formula 3 Championship

In October 2019, Oscar tested with the Prema Racing team, who were champions in FIA Formula 3. In January 2020, Prema Racing signed Oscar for the upcoming season.

Oscar started his first race in Formula 3 from third place. He won the race even after a small collision at the start. He later said he thought his first race was over in the first 10 seconds! Oscar then got three second-place finishes in a row. He won his second race in Barcelona by taking the lead on the first lap. He held onto his position to win. Oscar had some ups and downs with the championship lead. He was penalized in qualifying at Monza but still managed to finish third in the race.

In the final race at the Mugello Circuit, Oscar started 16th. His main rivals for the title had problems. Oscar finished seventh, which was enough to win the championship title. He was three points ahead of Théo Pourchaire.

Conquering the FIA Formula 2 Championship

Piastri driving the Dallara F2 2018 during the 2021 Silverstone Formula 2 round.

In December 2020, Oscar announced he would continue with Prema Racing in Formula 2. He replaced Mick Schumacher and partnered with Robert Shwartzman. Oscar finished fifth in his first race. In the second race, he started sixth and took the lead on the final lap to win his first Formula 2 race. He then got two second-place finishes in Monaco. This put him in second place in the championship.

Oscar had a collision in Baku but finished second in the main race there. He got pole position at Silverstone and took the lead in the championship. At Monza, Oscar won his first main race in the series. He increased his championship lead with another pole position and win at Sochi. Oscar won two races in one weekend in Jeddah. He secured the championship title with a podium finish in the first race at Yas Marina. This made him the third driver to win the championship in their rookie season. He finished his season with another win, his fourth in a row. Oscar won six races that season, more than any other driver.

By winning the Formula 2 championship, Oscar joined a special group of drivers. This group includes Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hülkenberg, Charles Leclerc, and George Russell. They are the only drivers to win the GP2/F2 title in their first season. He also became the first driver to win three major junior championships in a row. These were Formula Renault, Formula 3, and Formula 2.

Oscar's Formula One Journey

Test Driver Role

Renault/Alpine (2020–2022)

Oscar joined the Renault Sport Academy in January 2020. After winning the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2020, he had his first Formula One test. This was in October with the Renault F1 Team. He drove the Renault R.S.18 car. He stayed with the team, which was renamed Alpine Academy, in 2021. He drove the Alpine A521 car in a test session in December.

After winning the Formula 2 title, Oscar became the reserve driver for Alpine F1 Team for the 2022 season. He was also available as a reserve driver for McLaren through an agreement between the two teams. He took part in Alpine's testing sessions throughout the season. He also had a private two-day test session in an older McLaren car.

The 2022 Contract Situation

In 2022, there were many rumors that Oscar would drive for Williams in 2023. This was expected to be a loan from Alpine. However, in August, Fernando Alonso announced he was leaving Alpine. Alpine then announced that Oscar would replace Alonso in 2023. But Oscar quickly said on Twitter that he had not signed a contract with Alpine. He stated he would not be driving for them in 2023.

Alpine's team boss, Otmar Szafnauer, was not happy. He said he expected loyalty from Oscar. The issue went to the FIA's Contract Recognition Board (CRB). This board would decide if Oscar was tied to Alpine or free to join another team. Before the Dutch Grand Prix, the CRB decided against Alpine. This meant Oscar was free to join McLaren. His move to McLaren was confirmed soon after. Oscar later said that a "breakdown in trust" with Alpine led to his decision to leave.

Racing for McLaren (2023–Present)

2023: His First Season

Piastri at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix with McLaren.

Oscar raced for McLaren in 2023 alongside Lando Norris. Alpine agreed to end Oscar's contract early. This allowed him to join McLaren for testing right after the 2022 season. In his first race in Bahrain, Oscar had to retire early because of a car problem. In his first home race in Australia, he scored his first Formula One points by finishing eighth. He continued to gain experience throughout the season.

At the British Grand Prix, McLaren had new car upgrades. Oscar qualified in a personal best third place. He finished the race in fourth, which was his best result so far. At the Belgian Grand Prix, Oscar qualified second for the sprint race. He led a Formula One race for the first time in his career during the sprint. He finished second in the sprint, getting his first top-three finish in Formula One. However, he retired from the main race after a collision on the first lap.

On September 20, Oscar signed a new contract to stay with McLaren until the end of 2026. Days later, he qualified second for the Japanese Grand Prix. He finished the race in third place, getting his first podium finish in Formula One. He was the first rookie to get a podium since Lance Stroll in 2017. This was also McLaren's first time having both cars on the podium that season.

Oscar won his first sprint race at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. He had qualified in pole position for it. In the main race, he finished second, his best full race finish. He ended the 2023 season in ninth place in the championship with 97 points. He achieved two podiums and one sprint win.

2024: First Wins

Piastri (pictured at the Dutch Grand Prix) took two victories in 2024 as McLaren won the World Constructors' Championship.

Oscar started his 2024 season with an eighth-place finish in Bahrain. He then finished fourth in Saudi Arabia and Australia. In Miami, McLaren showed they could challenge Red Bull. Oscar had a collision and finished thirteenth. He qualified second at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix but got a penalty. He finished fourth. Oscar finished second in both the sprint and main race at the Austrian Grand Prix.

In Britain, he climbed to second place in the wet conditions. He later dropped to fourth. Oscar fractured a rib during this race due to a seat issue. He raced with this injury until the summer break. Oscar qualified second for the Hungarian Grand Prix. He overtook his teammate Norris at the start. McLaren later asked him to let Norris pass. However, Norris allowed Oscar to pass back with two laps left. Oscar then claimed his first Formula One victory! He became the fifth Australian to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Norris said the result was "fair" because he lost the race at the start.

Oscar finished second in Belgium after another driver was disqualified. This moved him up to fourth in the standings. He then finished fourth at the Dutch Grand Prix. He led most of the Italian Grand Prix but finished second due to a strategy error. In Azerbaijan, Oscar won another race after a long battle for the lead. He took third place in Singapore. He finished eighth in Mexico City and São Paulo. In São Paulo, he was asked to let Norris win the sprint race. Norris returned the favor in the Qatar sprint, letting Oscar win. Oscar finished third in the main race there. He ended the season in tenth place in Abu Dhabi after a first-lap collision. Oscar finished the season fourth in the World Drivers' Championship with 292 points. He had two victories and eight podiums. He helped McLaren win their first World Constructors' Championship since 1998.

2025: A Title Contender

Piastri (pictured at the Japanese Grand Prix) is one of the favourites for the 2025 World Drivers' Championship.

McLaren started the 2025 season as favorites to win the championship. Oscar is expected to challenge his teammate Lando Norris for the title. Before the season began, McLaren announced that Oscar had signed a new contract until at least the end of 2028. He qualified on the front row for the first race in Australia. He challenged Norris for the lead but spun in wet conditions, finishing ninth. After finishing second in the sprint race, he earned his first pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix. He dominated the race to claim his first victory of the season. He finished third in Japan. Oscar took pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix. He won the race by a large margin. He then won again in Saudi Arabia. This made him the first Australian driver to lead the World Drivers' Championship since 2010.

Driver Profile

Calmness Under Pressure

Piastri (pictured at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix) has been acclaimed by drivers and critics for his composure under pressure.

Many people have noticed how calm Oscar Piastri is under pressure. In 2023, a journalist compared his "relaxed intensity" to that of Max Verstappen. After winning the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, another journalist said that "stress isn’t an emotion one would associate with Piastri." His calm nature has been clear since his junior racing days. This quality has led many experts to see him as a favorite for the 2025 World Drivers' Championship. One expert compared him to the famous driver Alain Prost. Another said his mix of speed, mental strength, and good decisions makes him a tough competitor. After Oscar won in Saudi Arabia, his rival Verstappen said, "He's very calm in his approach, and I like that. He delivers when he has to, barely makes mistakes—and that's what you need when you want to fight for a championship."

Learning and Improving

Piastri (pictured at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix) has been noted for his development across his debut seasons.

Oscar Piastri is also praised for how quickly he adapts. His race engineer has highlighted his ability to find problems and improve in real-time. He can do this without needing to look at data first. His ability to learn from mistakes was first noticed by his engineer in the F4 UAE Championship. Sky Sports called his first Formula One season "very impressive." They noted that he needed to improve his tyre management. He showed great improvement in his race pace during 2024. He won his first races in Hungary and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan win was called a "coming-of-age drive." By 2025, an Autosport writer believed Oscar had fixed his tyre management and qualifying speed issues.

Personal Life

Oscar Piastri was born in Melbourne, Australia. His parents are Chris and Nicole Piastri. He grew up in the suburb of Brighton with his three sisters. He went to private schools, Haileybury College Melbourne in Australia and then Haileybury and Imperial Service College in England. His father, Chris Piastri, was his mechanic during Oscar's early racing years. Chris is now the owner of HP Tuners, a company that makes software for car diagnostics. Oscar has Italian, Yugoslavian, and Chinese family background. He is a big fan of the Richmond Tigers (an Australian rules football team). He also supports Australia's national cricket team. He follows the Delhi Capitals in the IPL after asking for team recommendations online.

Awards and Honours

• FIA Rookie of the Year: 2021, 2023
• Autosport Awards Rookie of the Year: 2020, 2021, 2023
• 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

^† As Piastri was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
* Season still in progress.

Images for kids

• 

  Oscar Piastri in 2024

[[Category:Formula One