Oscar Piastri Profile

Oscar Jack Piastri ( pee-AST-ree; born 6 April 2001) is an Australian racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren. Piastri has won five Formula One Grands Prix across three seasons.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Piastri began his career in radio-controlled racing before moving into karting aged nine. Graduating to junior formulae in 2016, Piastri won his first championship at the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup with R-ace GP. He then won both the 2020 FIA Formula 3 and 2021 FIA Formula 2 Championships back-to-back with Prema, becoming the sixth driver in history to win the GP2/Formula 2 title in their rookie season. Piastri is the only driver in history to win Formula Renault, Formula Three and Formula Two—or equivalent—championships in successive seasons.

A member of the Alpine Academy from 2020 to 2022, Piastri signed with McLaren in 2023 to partner Lando Norris, following a contract dispute with Alpine. He made his Formula One debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix, achieving his first career podium in his rookie season at the Japanese Grand Prix. Retaining his seat for 2024, Piastri achieved his maiden victory in Hungary, becoming the fifth Australian driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix, and repeated this feat in Azerbaijan. In 2025, he took his maiden pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix.

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

Early and personal life

Oscar Jack Piastri was born on 6 April 2001 to Chris and Nicole (née MacFadyen) Piastri in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He grew up in the inner-city suburb of Brighton with three younger sisters; Hattie, Edie and Mae. He claims Italian, Yugoslavian and Chinese heritage from his father's side as well as Scottish and Irish heritage from his mother's side. He was privately educated at Haileybury College Melbourne and then Haileybury and Imperial Service College in England as a boarding pupil on a sports scholarship. Chris Piastri served as his son's mechanic during Oscar's early racing years in Australia and is the founder and owner of HP Tuners, a vehicle diagnostics automotive software company. He is a keen Richmond Tigers supporter. As well as supporting Australia's national cricket team, he follows the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, after a post on his X profile asking for recommendations of which team to support. As of July 2024, Piastri is dating Lily Zneimer, an engineering graduate whom he met during his schoolgoing years. The pair began dating the year before Piastri completed his education in 2019.

Junior racing career

Karting (2011–2016)

Piastri started racing remote-controlled cars at a national level before beginning his karting career in 2011. Having gone professional and competed in various Australian races and championships in 2014, Piastri began competing in European and other CIK-FIA sanctioned karting championships with Ricky Flynn Motorsport the following year. He moved to the United Kingdom to further his racing career in 2016, finishing sixth in the 2016 World Championship in Bahrain.

Formula 4 (2016–2017)

Piastri racing in British F4 in 2017

In early 2016, Piastri landed his first major sponsorship, HP Tuners (founded and owned by his father), which helped fund his racing career. This was displayed on his racing suit and car during the GP3 Series, F3 and F2 season. Later in 2016, Piastri made his single-seater debut in selected rounds of the Formula 4 UAE Championship with Dragon F4, claiming two podiums to take sixth in the championship. In September 2022, Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner revealed that he missed a chance to sign Piastri to their junior team during his Formula 4 years. In 2017, Piastri was named as part of the TRS Arden Junior Racing Team's line-up for the British F4 championship. There he claimed six wins and six pole positions to finish as runner-up to Jamie Caroline.

Formula Renault 2.0 (2017–2019)

Piastri racing at Monza in the 2018 Formula Renault Eurocup Championship

In 2018, Piastri made his debut in the championship, reuniting with Arden. Claiming three podiums, with a highest placed finish of second at the second race at Hockenheim, he finished the season ninth in the championship. In December 2018, it was announced Piastri would switch to reigning team champions R-ace GP for the 2019 championship. He claimed his first victory in the series at Silverstone and repeated with a second win at the same venue a day later. He became the first driver to win three races in 2019 after taking victory at Spa-Francorchamps in July, and became the champion after taking a win and fourth place at the final round at Yas Marina.

Piastri after his win at Spa-Francorchamps, 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup

FIA Formula 3 (2020)

In December 2018, Piastri took part in the GP3 Series post-season test at Yas Marina with Trident. In October 2019, Piastri joined the post-season test with reigning FIA Formula 3 team champions Prema Racing. In January 2020, the Italian outfit signed Piastri to contest the upcoming season, alongside Logan Sargeant and 2019 Formula Regional European champion Frederik Vesti. Piastri started third on the grid for his debut race at the Red Bull Ring. He collided with pole-sitter Sebastián Fernández at the first corner but avoided damage and went on to take victory. He then stated that "he thought [his] first Formula 3 race had ended in the first 10 seconds." Piastri took three consecutive second-place finishes at both Hungaroring races and the first Silverstone feature race, before his first retirement of the season came at the following Silverstone sprint race when a stuck-open DRS forced him to withdraw. Teammate Sargeant took the lead of the championship from Piastri at the second Silverstone feature race after Piastri struggled with reliability issues in qualifying. Piastri started fifth for the sprint race in Barcelona, but overtook multiple cars to take the lead before the end of the first lap. He held his position to take his second victory.

Piastri reclaimed the championship lead after finishing fifth at the following Spa-Francorchamps feature race, but dropped back again after being penalised for an illegal overtake in the sprint race, which Sargeant won. Piastri was penalised in qualifying at Monza for impeding Jake Hughes and started the feature race in 15th place. He charged to third place by the end of the race, benefiting from Sargeant being involved in a collision, to retake the championship lead. Piastri retired from the sprint race after he was hit by Clément Novalak, but was also issued a five-place grid penalty for the next race for earlier forcing David Beckmann off the track. Despite his retirement, Piastri maintained the lead of the championship after his teammates collided with each other. Piastri lined up 16th on the grid for the final feature race at the Mugello Circuit and failed to score points after finishing 11th. Title rival Sargeant finished sixth, leaving both drivers tied on 160 points going into the final race. Sargeant started the sprint race six places ahead of Piastri, but was eliminated after a collision on the first lap. Piastri's only remaining title rival, Théo Pourchaire, was unable to bridge the points gap and Piastri finished seventh to claim the championship title, three points ahead of Pourchaire and four ahead of Sargeant.

FIA Formula 2 (2021)

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

In December 2020, Piastri announced that he would continue with Prema Racing into Formula 2, replacing the departing Mick Schumacher and partnering Ferrari Driver Academy member Robert Shwartzman for the 2021 season. Piastri finished fifth in his debut race. In the second race, Piastri started from sixth and made up places before overtaking fellow Alpine junior Zhou Guanyu on the final lap to take the lead, claiming his first Formula 2 race win. Piastri started the feature race from eighth place but passed multiple cars to take the lead by lap 13 of 32. He was later forced into retirement after making contact with Dan Ticktum and spinning with two laps remaining. Piastri took consecutive second-place finishes at the Monaco round to take second place in the championship standings behind Zhou. Piastri retired from the first sprint race in Baku after a collision on the first lap, but finished second in the feature race. He claimed pole position at Silverstone, and took the lead of the championship after finishing sixth in the first sprint race. At the conclusion of the fourth round, he held the championship lead by five points over Zhou.

At Monza, Piastri took his first feature win in the series which included a battle on lap 25 with Zhou, and increased his championship lead with another pole and win at Sochi. Piastri became the second driver that season after Jüri Vips to win two races on the same weekend, finishing first in Jeddah's second sprint race and being in the lead at the time the feature race was aborted. The Australian clinched the title with a podium in race one at Yas Marina, thus becoming the third driver to win the championship in their rookie season. He capped off his season with a win in the feature race, his fourth in a row, which meant that Piastri had won six races, more than any other driver that season. With his championship, Piastri joined an illustrious company of Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hülkenberg, Charles Leclerc, and George Russell, as the only drivers to win the GP2/F2 title in their rookie seasons. He also became just the fifth driver after Hamilton, Hülkenberg, Leclerc and Russell to win the GP3/F3 title, and then the GP2/F2 title the following year, and the first driver in history to win Formula Renault, Formula Three and Formula Two—or equivalent—championships in successive seasons.

Formula One career

Renault / Alpine test driver (2020–2022)

Piastri completed over 3,500 km (2,200 mi) of testing for Renault and Alpine as part of the Alpine Academy.

In January 2020, three months after clinching the Formula Renault Eurocup, Piastri became a member of the Renault Sport Academy. He conducted his first test with Renault upon winning the FIA Formula 3 Championship that year, completing nearly 500 km (310 mi) in the R.S.18 at Sakhir. He retained his place at the re-branded Alpine Academy in 2021, for whom he tested the A521 at the Yas Marina post-season test, as well as the R.S.18 again at Silverstone and Monza.

After his FIA Formula 2 title victory, Piastri was appointed the reserve driver of Alpine for their 2022 campaign, amidst links to an Alfa Romeo move; he was also made available in the role for McLaren following an agreement between the two teams. He completed around 3,000 km (1,900 mi) of further private tests in the A521 throughout the season—part of an "intense" training programme. Prior to the São Paulo Grand Prix, he completed a private two-day test for McLaren at Paul Ricard in the MCL35M, before entering post-season testing in the MCL36; he conducted his final rookie test with the team across two days at Barcelona-Catalunya.

2022 contract dispute

Alpine falsely claimed Piastri had signed for them in 2022, leading to a widely publicised contract dispute.

In June 2022, Piastri was offered a seat with Williams for 2023 on a two-year loan from Alpine, who were expected to retain Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso. In August, Alonso announced that he would replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. Alpine then announced that Piastri would be his replacement, in a press release absent of comments from Piastri himself. He rejected their announcement two hours later via Twitter, stating that he had not signed a contract and would not be driving for them in 2023. Team principal Otmar Szafnauer criticised his actions and "integrity as a human being", stating that he expected loyalty from Piastri and further threatened to take legal action. It soon emerged that he was instead in talks with McLaren.

I understand that, without my agreement, [Alpine] have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.
—Piastri via Twitter, denying the Alpine press release two hours later

A hearing of the FIA Contract Recognition Board (CRB) commenced four weeks later to determine whether Piastri was contracted to Alpine, or if he was a free agent—victory for Alpine could have obligated Piastri to either fulfil the contract for 2023, or required an interested team activate a release clause for his services. Prior to the Dutch Grand Prix, the CRB ruled against Alpine, followed by an immediate announcement that Piastri would instead join McLaren. In their final judgment, the CRB revealed that Piastri had signed his McLaren contract almost a month prior to the Alpine announcement—4 July, the day after the British Grand Prix. He was initially only guaranteed a reserve role, prior to the termination of Daniel Ricciardo in the week before the CRB hearing. Piastri later claimed a "breakdown in trust" between him and Alpine was behind his decision to leave.

McLaren (2023–present)

2023: Rookie season

Piastri (pictured at the Austrian Grand Prix) debuted in Formula One with McLaren in 2023.

Piastri signed for McLaren in 2023, replacing Daniel Ricciardo to partner Lando Norris. On debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Piastri qualified eighteenth amidst performance concerns with the MCL60, before retiring from twelfth with an electrical issue. He started eighth in Saudi Arabia prior to dropping outside the points with front wing damage sustained in a first-lap collision with Pierre Gasly. His maiden points finish came at his home Grand Prix in Australia, claiming eighth after starting sixteenth. He finished outside the points with eleventh and nineteenth at the Azerbaijan and Miami Grands Prix, respectively, suffering contact with Alexander Albon at the former and reliability issues at the latter. A tenth-placed finish saw him claim a point in Monaco, before a run of three further non-points finishes—in Spain, Canada, and Austria. Major upgrades for the British Grand Prix saw Piastri qualify third and finish fourth, before finishing fifth in Hungary. He qualified second for the Belgian Grand Prix sprint, retaining the position after a battle for the lead with Max Verstappen; he retired from the main race ensuing a first-corner collision with Carlos Sainz Jr. Piastri then finished ninth at the Dutch Grand Prix. In Italy, he finished twelfth upon receiving damage from Lewis Hamilton, taking his maiden fastest lap after the resultant pit stop. He qualified seventeenth in Singapore after a red flag, where he recovered to seventh. Finishing third after starting on the front-row at the Japanese Grand Prix, he became the first rookie to achieve a podium finish since Lance Stroll in 2017. He then took pole for the Qatar Grand Prix sprint, holding off Verstappen to claim his maiden sprint victory; he finished second in the main race, having started sixth. He retired from the United States Grand Prix following a collision with Esteban Ocon, and claimed eighth in Mexico City. He sustained first-lap damage enroute to fourteenth in São Paulo, before closing his rookie season with tenth- and sixth-placed finishes in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi—qualifying third at the latter. Piastri finished ninth in the World Drivers' Championship with two podiums and 97 points, 108 behind teammate Norris in sixth; his results led to a multi-year contract extension with McLaren until at least the end of 2026.

2024: Maiden wins

Piastri at the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix with McLaren

Piastri began the 2024 season by qualifying and finishing eighth at the Bahrain Grand Prix, followed by fourth-place finishes at the Saudi Arabian and Australian Grands Prix and further points at the Japanese and Chinese Grands Prix. At the Miami Grand Prix, he finished sixth in the sprint but 13th in the main race, won by teammate Norris, following a collision with Carlos Sainz Jr. in a battle for second place. Piastri qualified second at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but was demoted to fifth for impeding Kevin Magnussen and went on to finish fourth. He then qualified and finished second at the Monaco Grand Prix, taking his first podium of the season, and claimed further points at the Canadian and Spanish Grands Prix. At the Austrian Grand Prix, Piastri overtook Norris to finish second in the sprint, then benefited from a late collision between Norris and Verstappen to finish second in the main race, 1.9 seconds behind winner George Russell. Piastri ran as high as second place at the British Grand Prix after qualifying fifth, but lost positions when McLaren switched him to intermediate tyres one lap later than Norris and went on to finish fourth.

After qualifying second behind Norris at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Piastri overtook his teammate at the first corner. He led the race until he was pitted after Norris, allowing Norris to undercut him, on the understanding that Norris would later relinquish the position. Norris did so with two laps remaining, allowing Piastri to take his maiden win and become the fifth Australian driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix. McLaren's strategy and subsequent team orders caused controversy as Norris had built a six-second lead to Piastri; Norris commented that the result was "fair" and "honest", admitting that he lost the race to Piastri at the start. Piastri qualified sixth for the Belgian Grand Prix and crossed the finish line third despite a slow pit stop. He was then promoted to second place after George Russell's disqualification. The result allowed him to take fourth place in the Drivers' Championship from Carlos Sainz Jr. During the summer break, Piastri revealed that he had broken a rib during the first half of the season, caused by an improper seat fit. The injury had fully healed ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, where he qualified third and finished fourth.

Piastri qualified second for the Italian Grand Prix and gained the lead after overtaking Norris. Whereas McLaren chose a two-stop strategy, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc executed one-stop strategy to win the race, with Piastri unable to catch up and finishing second. Piastri qualified second behind Leclerc at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, overtook the leader on lap 20 and went on to claim his second Formula One victory. With Norris in fourth, this was enough for McLaren to gain the Constructors' Championship lead for the first time since 2014. Piastri qualified fifth for the Singapore Grand Prix and gained two places to take his ninth career podium. Norris won the race, extending the team's championship lead. Further points for Piastri came at the United States Grand Prix, where he finished fifth, and at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he recovered from qualifying 17th to finish eighth. He qualified on pole for the sprint at the São Paulo Grand Prix, but was ordered by McLaren to cede the lead to Norris in the closing laps. He finished eighth in the race after again relinquishing position to Norris and receiving a penalty for colliding with Liam Lawson. With his tenth-placed finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Piastri became the fourth driver in history to complete every lap of a Formula One season.

Piastri finished 2024 4th in the drivers championship with 292 points, 5 places higher than 2023 scoring two wins, seven podiums and one fastest lap during the season. His points total also helped McLaren win their first Constructors' Championship since 1998.

2025

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

McLaren entered 2025 as title favourites, with Piastri expected to challenge teammate Lando Norris for the World Drivers' Championship. Three days prior to the start of his campaign, McLaren announced a multi-year contract extension with Piastri until at least the end of the 2028 season. He qualified on the front-row for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, behind teammate Norris; he challenged Norris for the lead before spinning in wet conditions, ultimately finishing ninth. After finishing second in the sprint, he took his maiden pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix, dominating the race ahead of Norris to claim his first victory of the season. He finished third in Japan behind Max Verstappen and Norris. Piastri took pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix, cruising to a 15-second winning margin and moving within three points of Norris. He took another victory in Saudi Arabia to become the first Australian to lead the World Drivers' Championship since 2010.

Driver profile

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

Piastri has been noted by critics for his composure under pressure. In 2023, Scott Mitchell-Malm of The Race compared his "relaxed intensity" to that of Max Verstappen. This quality prompted several journalists to list him as a favourite for the 2025 World Drivers' Championship after the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Martin Brundle comparing him to Alain Prost. Andrew Benson of BBC Sport stated "combining consistent speed [with] mental solidity and racing decisiveness [makes him] a formidable rival". After winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, title rival Verstappen stated "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".

Piastri has also been lauded for his adaptability, with race engineer Tom Stallard commending his ability to identify flaws in real-time and make improvements without data analysis. Sky Sports described his rookie campaign as "very impressive", noting that his tyre management required improvement. He was noted for his race pace development throughout 2024, as he took his maiden victories in Hungary and Azerbaijan. By 2025, Jake Boxall-Legge of Autosport opined that he had eradicated the tyre management and qualifying pace issues he experienced in his earlier seasons.

Awards and honours

FIA Rookie of the Year: 2021, 2023

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

Anthoine Hubert Award: 2021

Karting record

Karting career summary

Season Series Team Position 2014 Australian National Sprint Championship — Junior Clubman 2nd Australian National Sprint Championship — Junior National Light 8th IAME International Final — X30 Junior 3rd 2015 Australian Championship — KF3 3rd WSK Super Master Series — KF-J ASBL Karting Club Condroz 80th CIK-FIA European Championship — KF-J Frank Cancelli 26th 2016 WSK Champions Cup — OK-J Ricky Flynn Motorsport 29th South Garda Winter Cup — OK-J 10th WSK Super Master Series — OK-J 12th Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft — OK-J 77th CIK-FIA European Championship — OK-J 16th WSK Final Cup — OK-J 8th CIK-FIA World Championship — OK-J 6th Source: