The Fort Worth Press - 'Cool' to race against legends says ripening Piastri

USD -
AED 3.67301
AFN 71.875029
ALL 92.25022
AMD 387.830249
ANG 1.803796
AOA 848.999951
ARS 886.245903
AUD 1.497903
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.69479
BAM 1.800382
BBD 2.02034
BDT 117.193335
BGN 1.801205
BHD 0.376914
BIF 2871.134922
BMD 1
BND 1.345448
BOB 6.916137
BRL 5.130198
BSD 1.00069
BTN 83.56918
BWP 13.524435
BYN 3.274677
BYR 19600
BZD 2.01698
CAD 1.361815
CDF 2804.999781
CHF 0.906704
CLF 0.032564
CLP 898.530036
CNY 7.221097
CNH 7.224565
COP 3828.13
CRC 512.275275
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 101.505109
CZK 22.744305
DJF 178.187842
DKK 6.86665
DOP 58.610183
DZD 134.564855
EGP 46.905229
ERN 15
ETB 57.279915
EUR 0.92035
FJD 2.231749
FKP 0.796099
GBP 0.789634
GEL 2.749776
GGP 0.796099
GHS 14.292553
GIP 0.796099
GMD 67.799474
GNF 8603.27893
GTQ 7.775062
GYD 209.509344
HKD 7.80021
HNL 24.694904
HRK 6.979956
HTG 132.758922
HUF 356.489028
IDR 15966.65
ILS 3.69655
IMP 0.796099
INR 83.46815
IQD 1310
IRR 42075.000314
ISK 138.339468
JEP 0.796099
JMD 156.407872
JOD 0.708898
JPY 155.744979
KES 130.610032
KGS 88.262099
KHR 4080.712122
KMF 452.724945
KPW 899.999697
KRW 1354.905029
KWD 0.30721
KYD 0.834093
KZT 443.658925
LAK 21341.861856
LBP 89605.632507
LKR 301.004299
LRD 193.506315
LSL 18.210186
LTL 2.952741
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.834973
MAD 9.956021
MDL 17.760849
MGA 4442.498917
MKD 56.670564
MMK 2101.329897
MNT 3449.999773
MOP 8.046082
MRU 39.699173
MUR 46.029957
MVR 15.460127
MWK 1733.500118
MXN 16.700398
MYR 4.681935
MZN 63.506315
NAD 18.209905
NGN 1522.999643
NIO 36.750081
NOK 10.699013
NPR 133.707069
NZD 1.63356
OMR 0.384896
PAB 1.000829
PEN 3.720359
PGK 3.880498
PHP 57.633503
PKR 278.499962
PLN 3.925289
PYG 7509.088399
QAR 3.641499
RON 4.579702
RSD 107.817963
RUB 90.890013
RWF 1296
SAR 3.750432
SBD 8.475946
SCR 14.584005
SDG 600.999607
SEK 10.718775
SGD 1.346405
SHP 1.26345
SLE 22.847303
SLL 20969.50094
SOS 570.999971
SRD 32.170181
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.757008
SYP 2512.529855
SZL 18.209798
THB 36.1825
TJS 10.863918
TMT 3.5
TND 3.103035
TOP 2.35865
TRY 32.275425
TTD 6.796277
TWD 32.195991
TZS 2590.000328
UAH 39.378866
UGX 3763.232993
UYU 38.690969
UZS 12737.49516
VEF 3622552.534434
VES 36.580745
VND 25449
VUV 118.72199
WST 2.803093
XAF 603.834045
XAG 0.033681
XAU 0.00042
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.757781
XOF 602.497165
XPF 110.350063
YER 249.896527
ZAR 18.18565
ZMK 9001.201729
ZMW 25.291059
ZWL 321.999592
  • SCS

    -0.0300

    13.58

    -0.22%

  • BCC

    -3.5700

    137.29

    -2.6%

  • RIO

    1.5800

    71.91

    +2.2%

  • NGG

    0.5100

    73.31

    +0.7%

  • RBGPF

    -0.8500

    59.7

    -1.42%

  • GSK

    -0.4438

    44.88

    -0.99%

  • CMSC

    0.0200

    24.51

    +0.08%

  • BCE

    -0.2300

    34.34

    -0.67%

  • CMSD

    -0.0728

    24.3

    -0.3%

  • BTI

    0.2300

    31.55

    +0.73%

  • JRI

    -0.0700

    11.58

    -0.6%

  • VOD

    0.1600

    9.8

    +1.63%

  • RYCEF

    -0.1493

    5.29

    -2.82%

  • RELX

    0.0100

    43.92

    +0.02%

  • AZN

    0.0700

    77.04

    +0.09%

  • BP

    -0.2138

    37.11

    -0.58%

'Cool' to race against legends says ripening Piastri
'Cool' to race against legends says ripening Piastri / Photo: © AFP/File

'Cool' to race against legends says ripening Piastri

Oscar Piastri may no longer be a first-season rookie on the Formula One grid but he still gets a thrill from lining up alongside the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, admitting in an interview with AFP that "it's cool" to race against them.

Text size:

After serving as reserve driver for Alpine in 2022, where he was working alongside Alonso, the 23-year-old Australian made his F1 debut in a McLaren last season and immediately found himself rubbing shoulders with some of the greats of the sport.

"I grew up watching Lewis and Fernando on TV in the early 2010s," he told AFP. "I didn't watch the start of Fernando's career because I wasn't alive but it's cool to race against those guys.

"When you're on the track, of course, they're just another driver with a helmet on, they're just another person you're trying to beat.

"But I think for me working alongside Fernando in 2022 and trying to learn as much as I could from what he was doing was quite an eye-opener.

"And yeah, I certainly learned a lot from him in that season."

Piastri is underselling himself. While Max Verstappen and Red Bull were gorging themselves at the front of the pack, the former Formula 3 (2020) and Formula 2 (2021) world champion was chalking off the landmarks.

He picked up his first points at home in Melbourne in his third grand prix, scored his first podium in Japan and won the sprint in the following race in Qatar where he also finished second behind Verstappen, of course, in the main event.

"On the whole it was a good first season," he says. "But still some things to work on which I think I'm making good progress on this year. But still some improvements to go."

Top of the wish list would be a first grand prix victory although in the face of continued Red Bull domination this season, Piastri remains a pragmatist, happy to put the needs of the team ahead of his own.

"Let's be honest, I'm not going to win the world championship this year," he shrugs.

Piastri heads to this weekend's rumble in Miami sixth in the standings having scored points in every race thus far, with teammate Lando Norris just 11 in front of him.

"Whether I finish fifth or sixth or wherever it might be in the driver standings, I'm not that fussed," he insists.

"But if I can make a difference to the constructors championship, then that's a big focus for me."

- 'Very enjoyable' -

Last season, with Norris in the other car, McLaren finished fourth in the constructors behind Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.

They are now third, ahead of Mercedes and Aston Martin.

"I think if we can finish the year in third place that would be good compared to the years previous but I think that's the lowest we would accept now, given what we were capable of at the end of last season," says Piastri.

"But we want to set our sights on the front."

While still looking for the consistency to make himself a genuine contender on race day, Piastri revels in his new role as a Formula One driver.

"At the end of the day, I'm an F1 driver because I love racing cars," he says. "I started racing because I love going fast and trying to beat other people."

And he still pinches himself when he stops to think about the progress he has made.

"It's been a very enjoyable 18 months," he says.

"In some situations, you kind of realise how special it is.

"In Saudi Arabia last year I qualified on the same row as Lewis in my second F1 race. When I was lining up on the grid I didn't notice at all but then someone sent me a photo afterwards of the TV graphic of me and Lewis side by side.

"And yeah, that was quite special to look at afterwards. So that's definitely cool."

P.McDonald--TFWP