Ocasr Piastri was able to impress in his first Formula 1 season in a duel with more experienced colleagues and, from his point of view, set an important example
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri believes it was particularly important in his rookie season to show his rivals that he is no pushover despite his inexperience in Formula 1, especially when it comes to wheel-to-wheel duels
When asked if he was underestimated by his fellow drivers, “Not so much. Of course there’s an element of respect and I think in a way you race against people the way you want to be treated on the track.”
“I always try to ride hard but fair. Especially at the beginning of the season or at the start of your career, it’s always important to show people that you’re not a pushover, because that’s not nice,” explains the Qatar sprint winner.
In his first year in Formula 1, the 22-year-old earned a lot of praise and, above all, did not shy away from the tough battle with his more experienced colleagues.
George Russell, for example, received a five-second penalty for leaving the track while trying to overtake Piastri in Austin. And Yuki Tsunoda spun in the race in Mexico after trying to overtake on the outside.
At the time of the duel with Russell, the Mercedes driver himself hinted that he wanted to test Piastri by trying to overtake around the outside to see if the McLaren driver would “be nice” and give him room.
By his own assessment, Piastri has found a good balance on the track in terms of aggression – a trait he says also played a big part in his success on his way up the junior categories, where he secured the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles.
“I don’t think I’m overly tough or aggressive or anything like that,” the Australian states. “In my junior career, a big part of my titles was staying out of trouble and being consistent.”
“I think there’s a good saying that sometimes it’s more important to finish the race and be wrong in a situation than to be right about something and get knocked out of the race. So that’s an element I’ve always tried to maintain. I tried to be tough but fair.”
Piastri did not receive a single penalty point on his FIA Superlicense in his rookie season. He finished his first Formula 1 year ninth in the championship with 97 points.
