Squiz Shortcuts - Oscar Piastri's ride to the top of F1

Your Shortcut to… Oscar Piastri’s ride to the top of F1

There’s a lot of buzz around Formula One driver Oscar Piastri this year. He’s leading the world rankings coming into the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix this Sunday - and if he wins, he’ll be well on his way to taking out the World Championship, something an Aussie hasn’t done in nearly half a century... So in this Squiz Shortcut we’ll get you up to speed with

• how a kid from Melbourne got to the top of F1

• why winning at Monaco is such a big deal

• and who he’s out to beat this weekend…

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How come this Oscar Piastri guy is such a big deal?
Well, it’s been a while since we’ve had an Aussie leading the F1, and only 2 Aussie drivers have ever won the World Drivers' Championship - the late Jack Brabham, who won it three times from 1959 to ‘66, and the Victorian driver Alan Jones back in 1980…

How’s he been doing this year?
He didn’t have the best start to the season at the Australian Grand Prix, which was the opening race, back in March. He spun out and finished 9th, there... But since then, he’s won 4 titles: Shanghai, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Miami. 

Sounds like he’s on a roll
He was - the last 3 of those were on the hop, which gave him a lot of momentum going into last weekend’s race at Imola in Italy’s Emilia Romagna, where he started from pole position - that means he was first in the qualifying round and he got to start the final at the front of the pack, which gives an edge in these big races. 

So, a big advantage…
Definitely… But he came in 3rd behind his main rival for the World Championship, Dutchman Max Verstappen - he’s the reigning champ who drives for Red Bull. And also in front, in 2nd spot, was his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. And we should say - even though they’re on the same team, there’s a fair bit of rivalry between those 2…

How did Piastri pull up?
He said the result in Italy was “disappointing” but he doesn’t have too long to dwell on it - there’s an even bigger race coming up…

That’s the Monaco Grand Prix, right?
Yep - it’s the jewel in the crown; the one every racer dreams of winning - a bit like the Wimbledon of F1 if we can liken it to tennis for a second, and at 24yo that would be a pretty impressive feat. 

Back it up for a bit - how did a boy from Melbourne end up racing in the F1?
So, one connection to cars Piastri had from a young age is that his dad Chris is a mechanic. When he was growing up in Brighton, his interest in racing started with radio-controlled cars and progressed into go-karting when he was about 9yo…

That’s early, was he any good?
Yep, he won a few competitions and started getting noticed. And while this was all happening, he was attending a school called Haileybury - it’s a private school with a sister boarding college over in the UK. And in 2016 when he was 14yo, he moved to the other side of the world to board there - which was a big decision, but he and his family were encouraged by talent scouts to make the move. His mentors said it’d be a great opportunity for young Oscar, who was already showing signs of being a racing talent…

Go on…
Once he was overseas, he was trained by go-karting manager and talent scout Rob McIntyre, who guided him ahead of his progression into Formula 4, Formula 3 and Formula 2, where he won all 3 world titles. And in describing Piastri, McIntyre said what makes him different is his dexterity and his “supercomputer” brain.

Handy to have…
Especially for racers who need to stay cool under pressure… McIntyre said he spotted “this little Aussie kid batting round” at a European Championship and he thought “OK, yeah, you’re quite good”... And Piastri went on to become, as sports writer Will Swanton from The Australian puts it “A brainiac driving like a maniac.” 

Where’d he go from there?
He graduated from Alpine Academy in 2022 to drive in the F1 with the BWT Alpine team as a reserve, and in 2023, he moved over to McLaren and took to the track like a natural. In his first year, he made 2 podiums and was awarded Rookie of the Year…

Looks like he’s not slowing down either…
Not a chance - last year, he finished in 4th place in the World Champs, and off the back of that, he’s recently signed a contract extension with McLaren worth a cool $41 million a year to take him to the end of 2028… 

So, back to Monaco then - why does it get so much attention?
Even if you know nothing about F1 racing, you might be aware that Monaco is one of the most glamorous cities in the world. It’s a principality that’s its own sovereign state on the French Riviera, and it’s a playground for the rich and famous... 

What is it known for?
Aside from a couple of claims to fame like American actress Grace Kelly becoming the Princess of Monaco after marrying Prince Rainier III in 1956, and being home to one of the world’s iconic casinos, the Grand Prix is one of the main events it’s known for and it attracts as many celebrities as it does racing fans every year.

So why is the race so prestigious?
A few things set it apart. Firstly, it’s one of the first racing tracks ever established, and it dates back to 1929 - so, when F1 started in earnest in 1950, it was on the calendar as the race to win. 

What, is it hard?
Super hard - the course winds around the coastline - it’s narrow and it has lots of tight corners and a famous tunnel. It’s so demanding that the race teams have to specially adapt the cars for it to prioritise maneuverability over speed. 

OK, that sounds tricky…
Yup, and even the professionals say so. Former Brazilian champ Nelson Piquet said driving around Monaco is - in his words - “like riding a bicycle around your living room”...

Sounds like a recipe for broken bones… How’d Piastri fare in Monaco last year?
He finished 2nd there in 2024 and that was his first podium finish of the season, but things are looking a bit different this time around. He’s leading the rankings, for one - but racing commentators reckon qualifying is everything at Monaco because the track is so narrow that it makes overtaking especially difficult, so it pays to start out in front. In fact, all of the drivers finished the race in the same order as they qualified last year…

How do they think Piastri will handle it?
They reckon that the track, with its twists and turns, will suit his technical and patient style of driving, even though Team Red Bull - who’ve come off last weekend’s win in Italy with renewed confidence - remain a threat. 

Ooh drama - who’s he up against?
Driving for Red Bull is Piastri’s main rival Max Verstappen, who we mentioned earlier - and, fun fact, the team’s boss is Christian Horner, husband of Geri Halliwell - who some will know as Ginger Spice.

That is a fun fact
And this is a serious fact - to get on the podium in Monaco, Red Bull will need to slow it right down. They’re great at speed, which is what caught Piastri off guard last weekend, he couldn’t match the pace when it counted, but Monaco isn’t ideal for that. It’s something even Verstappen admits going into the race, saying: “Clearly we are more competitive on high-speed tracks … Monaco is one race on the calendar where you just try to do the best you can.”

You mentioned his teammate Lando Norris - is he a threat too?
Yep… He’s also competing for his first F1 championship. McLaren says the 2 are aiming for first and second place finishes, and they’re free to race hard against each other, but Piastri has been consistently out-qualifying Norris, which wasn’t expected this time last year when the results were a lot tighter. 

Any other drivers to clock?
Two other big names Piastri will have to fend off are Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and George Russell, who’s driving for Mercedes and until last year, was partnered with British star Lewis Hamilton…

So it’ll be a tight race…
It sure will, but those in the know say it’s Piastri’s race to lose, and if he can keep control on the course and finish in front, he’ll be in an even stronger position to become Australia’s first F1 world champion in 45 years…

When can we catch it?
It’s a late one for us in Oz - the big race starts on Sunday at 11.00pm AEST, but Kayo will begin coverage from 9.30pm… Zoom, zoom Oscar.

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