Considering that on the eve of the start of the championship he was described as one of the most promising rookies of recent years, there was great attention around Oscar Piastri. A curiosity also born from the clash between Alpine and McLaren, who last season took the case to the FIA in order to establish which team the Australian would race with this year.
Another element was that linked to expectations. The Woking team had arrived for two years without great satisfaction with Daniel Ricciardo, which is why they had gone in search of a young talent to develop. Undoubtedly, however, Piastri would have found himself in a particular situation, not only due to the fact of having to demonstrate that he deserved the call from McLaren, but also due to the need to prove that the team had made the right choice in focusing on him at place of his compatriot, so much so that the contract was concluded in advance.
Piastri completed an excellent season, impressing not only with the results, but also with the growth shown during the championship. Despite suffering in the race against Lando Norris, who can count on greater experience having debuted in Formula 1 in 2019, particularly in tire management, the Australian immediately showed great speed, managing to perform well already in the second qualifying of the world championship, in Saudi Arabia, where he achieved a nice top ten with an MCL60 which, at the time, had to rely on very loaded wings to be able to find speed in corners, but suffered on the straights.
Photo by: FIA
Oscar Piastri, FIA Rookie of the Year, awarded by Ronan Morgan, President of the FIA Drivers' Commission
Over the course of the season the team made substantial improvements to the single-seater, allowing the drivers to have an increasingly competitive car in their hands. Likewise, Piastri was also able to take a step forward during the season, continuing to grow despite the fact that in the second half of the season he had to compete on numerous circuits on which he had never raced before, not even in the preparatory categories.
The first pole and the first victory arrived in Qatar, albeit only on the day dedicated to the sprint. Nonetheless, according to Team Principal Andrea Stella there was another weekend in which Piastri was able to shine even more, namely that of Japan, where he achieved his first podium in F1.
At Suzuka, Piastri was able to beat Norris in qualifying by a tenth, taking second place on the starting grid behind poleman Max Verstappen in what was his first experience in Japan. That second place came after particular management, with an FP1 away from the spotlight and dedicated exclusively to understanding the secrets of the track because, as reliable as the simulator is, certain details are only understood once you arrive on the track.
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL60, first place, takes the checkered flag in the sprint while his team applauds from the pit wall
“On a track like Suzuka he took second position on the starting grid, we have to reflect for a moment on the significance of this result. A track like Suzuka is not only high speed, but it is also very narrow and does not forgive if you go too wide because in some places there is gravel,” said the Team Principal.
“In terms of speed, in terms of being able to learn very quickly, in terms of collaborating with his engineers and extracting the information that he needed to grow so quickly, in terms of being aware of where he was at various stages to go from: 'Not I know nothing about this track, it's the first time I've gotten into a Formula 1 car and been second on the starting grid.”
“And also the way he manages to stay calm and collected, so always able to capitalize on his potential because he doesn't create unnecessary stress, is really exceptional. And I understand why he has been so successful in the youth categories.”
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Lando Norris, McLaren, 2nd position, congratulates Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 3rd position
During his year off in 2022, Piastri carried out an extensive testing program with an older generation Alpine, which allowed him to understand how a car behaves and how to interact with a Formula 1 team, which undoubtedly has many more engineers and figures than those of a team in the preparatory categories.
“On tracks with which Oscar was somewhat familiar or on which he could carry out the FP1, FP2, FP3 sessions and the complete programme, he was very competitive. But on tracks he had never been to before, [dove] you just do a free practice session and then you go for a sprint, you understand that the level you have to reach to be very competitive is very high.”
“So, we are extremely pleased with the level of performance that Oscar was able to deliver once he had a decent amount of practice, which in most cases means just three hours before going into qualifying.”
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