Piastri describes the special feeling ahead of his home Grand Prix™
Wednesday, 29 March 2023
The Melbourne-born driver will race in his hometown for the first time.
On the eve of the FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2023, Oscar Piastri is only moments away from walking into the Formula 1® Paddock in his home country as an F1® driver for the first time.
Having grown up in Melbourne, the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit was only a few minutes from his house.
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“It’s great to be heading to Melbourne for my home Grand Prix. I grew up in the suburbs of the city, and it is a special feeling to be returning as an F1 driver,” said Piastri.
“It’s set to be a fantastic atmosphere, and I can’t wait to get there and be a part of it. I’m really looking forward to seeing all of the home crowd and all of the papaya fans. This will be the first time that I’ve raced at Albert Park and I’m sure it will be an experience that I remember. The weather is usually changeable here so it could be an interesting one.”
McLaren will look for improvement after failing to score a single point across either driver in the first two races.
Piastri managed to make his way in Q3 in Saudi Arabia’s Qualifying. However, a first lap coming together with Pierre Gasly caused front-wing damage for Piastri, ultimately ending any chance of being competitive for the duration of the race.
"Securing a starting position of P8 in my second-ever F1 quali and ticking another box by finishing a full Grand Prix was extremely satisfying in Jeddah, although Sunday was not seamless. There is a long way to go this season. We’ll keep on pushing hard as a team and my learning curve continues."
Joining Oscar with his home debut will be Jack Doohan in F2® as well as Christian Mansell, Tommy Smith and Hugh Barter in F3®.
Albert Park will look to welcome more than the 419,144 fans who came through the gates at last year’s event in 2023.
Track action begins tomorrow with Porsche Carrera Cup, Shannons Historic Demonstration and Supercars all taking to the track. F1®, F2® and F3® will all start on Friday.
