EXCLUSIVE: Piastri on dealing with massive expectation in his rookie year – and the weekend everything changed in 2023

Duty EditorAlasdair Hooper
Piastri_header_image.pngLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 18: Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren walks in the Paddock prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 18, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Clive Mason - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Few rookies have gone into their debut Formula 1 campaigns with as much expectation as Oscar Piastri – and few have shone quite as brightly.

The Australian racer was in high demand, as the tussle for his services between long-time backers Alpine and his current team McLaren proved. That level of noise brings much more attention along with it, regardless of how many Grands Prix you’ve raced in.