From Rookie to Racing Icon: The Story of Oscar Piastri

For some, greatness comes early in life. The perfect example is Oscar Piastri.

On the cusp of 25 years old, the Australian F1 driver has made incredible strides and shot to motorsport stardom in just three years. But how did this young gun rise the ranks from go-karting to Formula 1 (F1)?

From humble beginnings in Melbourne to racing on the international stage, this is the story of Oscar Piastri.

Racing Roots: How It All Began

Born in Melbourne, Piastri grew up a stone’s throw away from the heart of Australian F1 action. From a young age, he loved seeing the world’s biggest drivers whip around his home track, Albert Park Circuit. Of course, it would take years to realise his dream of getting behind the wheel and hitting the track himself.

The first step in this journey was getting involved in the Australian karting scene. At just nine years old, Piastri competed in national-level remote-control racing. He claimed second place in the competition, beaten only by an opponent eight years his senior.

From there, Piastri and his father developed a love of go-karting. By 2015, he had made quite a name for himself, finishing second in the 2014 Australian National Sprint Kart Championship (Junior Clubman Class), and third in the 2015 Australian Kart Championship (KF3 Class). 

However, in 2016, the young Australian’s love and aptitude for motorsport would take him further from home than he could’ve imagined.

Chasing Dreams Overseas

For most 14-year-olds, moving to the other side of the world would be daunting. For Piastri, it was the first stepping stone in a remarkable career.

After relocating to the United Kingdom in 2016, Piastri soon joined the ranks of Formula 4 (F4), first with Dragon F4 and then with the Arden Motorsport team.

Although he finished as Britain’s F4 vice-champion in 2017, his real breakthrough began in 2019. By this time, he’d moved onto R-ace GP and drove the team to a first-place win in the Formula Renault Eurocup.

The following year, Piastri joined Prema Racing and continued his hot streak with the team, claiming the Formula 3 (F3) Championship and Formula 2 (F2) Championship titles in 2020 and 2021, respectively. When it came to his F2 victory, he didn’t just win — he dominated, leading by more than 50 points. By the age of 20, Piastri had cemented his place as one to watch in the motorsport world. However, the greatest highs of his career were still yet to come.

Joining the F1 Grid: A Lifelong Dream Come True

Following his F2 victory, Piastri was nominated as Alpine’s F1 reserve driver in 2022. Although he didn’t get to race, he did take part in multiple testing sessions for the team.

By late 2022, the McLaren team had secured Piastri as the second driver to Lando Norris for the 2023 season. This was a historical moment for the unofficial Australian F1 team, which has seen only 19 Australians compete on the F1 stage.

A Remarkable Rookie: The 2023 F1 Season

Although Piastri’s F1 debut didn’t have the best start (he was forced to retire in his inaugural race), his performance picked up as the season continued.

At the Australian Grand Prix (Piastri’s home race), he placed eighth, scoring his first-ever F1 points. While that race turned several heads in Piastri’s direction, even more people started paying attention to him following the British Grand Prix.

During this race, Piastri bolted to the front of the pack, delighting and shocking spectators. Ultimately, he finished in fourth place, missing out on the podium by less than a second to UK native and F1 veteran, Lewis Hamilton.

Fortunately, Piastri didn’t have to wait long to feel the thrill of stepping onto the podium; in fact, he got to relish the feeling back to back. Not only did he secure a third-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, but he also clinched second place at the Qatar Grand Prix a couple of weeks later. The Japanese race also saw Lando Norris finish in second place, marking the McLaren team’s first double podium finish since 2021.

While the season had its ups and downs for Piastri, he had a remarkable rookie season overall. Having accumulated a total of 97 points, he finished in ninth place in the 2023 World Drivers’ Championship.

A Maiden F1 Victory: The 2024 F1 Season

Piastri’s debut set the bar incredibly high. However, in his sophomore season, he didn’t just reach the bar — he surpassed it.

In both the second and third race of the season, Piastri sailed into fourth place, inching his way closer to another podium finish.

His first podium finish of the 2024 season came in Monaco, where Piastri finished in second place behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Roughly a month later, he secured the #2 spot on the podium once again at the Austrian Grand Prix, finishing 1.9 seconds behind the winner, Mercedes’ George Russell.

The most significant moment of Piastri’s career to date came in July 2024 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he clinched his maiden F1 win at 23 years old. “[It’s] very, very special,” said Piastri of the victory. “This is really the day I dreamed of as a kid, standing on the top step of an F1 podium.”

Piastri would go on to relive that dream weeks later at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he won again. This race was not only a turning point for Piastri’s career but also for the McLaren team, namely in the Constructors’ Championship. Thanks to the points gained by Piastri, McLaren was able to overtake Red Bull Racing in this category.

Rounding out the season with two more podium placements (in Singapore and Qatar), Piastri finished fourth overall in the World Drivers’ Championship. He earned a total of 292 points — enough to lead McLaren to victory in the Constructors’ Championship. This was the first time McLaren had scored the title since 1998.

Looking Ahead: The 2025 F1 Season

With the 2025 F1 season around the corner, Piastri is ready to write the next chapter in his story. His hopeful headline? Oscar Piastri, World Drivers’ Champion.

“It’s definitely a clean slate [this year],” said Piastri of the upcoming season. “I do think that I can become World Champion this year.” Of course, he’ll have some fierce competitors to contend with in order to secure the championship title. One of them is none other than his teammate, Lando Norris. Despite being colleagues, Norris and Piastri are still competitors — and each of them is vying for the pole position of the season.

Piastri must also outdrive repeated winners like Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who will be driving for Ferrari this year.

As far as the Constructors’ Championship, the McLaren team is highly favoured. However, many experts are predicting that Ferrari will be putting up a fight for the title.

According to former Haas team chief, Guenther Steiner: “My favourites [for the 2025 F1 season] are Ferrari and McLaren, because they were so strong [at the] end of last year and I think they figured out what the car needs to be fast.”

Race by Race: Oscar Piastri’s F1 Career in Numbers

At the time of publication, Piastri’s racing results are as follows:

A Promising Future for F1’s Newest Superstar

So far, Piastri’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Once a boy fascinated by remote-controlled racecars, Piastri has evolved into a global F1 sensation. Hundreds of points. Ten podium finishes. Two Grand Prix wins. These are just a few of the incredible feats on this young Aussie’s resume.

Best of all, he’s just getting started.

With a razor-sharp racecraft and an insatiable hunger for success, there’s no denying that the future is bright for Piastri. As for the accolades and records that await him? Only time will tell.