Shepparton to cheer on as Oscar Piastri prepares for F1 debut

By Aydin Payne

Mar 2, 2023

Long wait is over: Oscar Piastri will have a swathe of family members cheer him on from the comforts of their Shepparton loungerooms this weekend. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

Alarms will be set for 2am Monday as the dedicated Oscar Piastri supporter base in the Goulburn Valley prepares to cheer on the Aussie talent in his maiden Formula 1 race.

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Piastri, who has strong family ties to Shepparton, will make his long-awaited debut when the 2023 F1 calendar kicks off this weekend.

The 21-year-old will jump behind the wheel of his McLaren MCL60 for the opening round in Bahrain.

Piastri’s imminent arrival in F1 comes off the back of a lengthy wait after his incredible rapid rise through the ranks.

The Melbourne-born young gun claimed three titles, including F3 and F2, as a rookie which catapulted him to the front of the pecking order and made him one of the most highly-sought after juniors in the sport.

After spending last year as a reserve driver for Alpine, Piastri made the shift to McLaren once a race seat, one of 20 on the grid, opened up.

The contract drama tossed the humble and driven youngster into global headlines.

Speaking to Formula One last week, Piastri said he wouldn’t let the outside noise affect him in the start to his F1 career.

“I think in terms of my junior results, obviously it’s been my ticket to F1, so I think for me it’s only a good thing that I can look back at with confidence,” he said.

“And I think regarding the contract situation last year, I think it’s closed and it’s pretty clear cut, so I don’t think that aspect in particular adds anything.

“I think obviously there’s an element of expectation, but I think that’s to be expected for a rookie. We’re one of 20 drivers in Formula 1, so there’s always going to be a lot of eyes on us.

“So I don’t think that’s really been affected too much ... it’s nice to be calling myself a Formula 1 driver.”

In preparation for the upcoming season Piastri spent last weekend getting to grips with McLaren’s latest offering at pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Unfortunately for supporters of Piastri and McLaren, there might be early woes to start the season after the British team missed some of its development targets on the MCL60.

Pre-season testing was impacted by repairs and McLaren finished the weekend of testing with the lowest number of laps completed.

The Bahrain Grand Prix begins Monday, March 6 at 2am and will be broadcast on Fox Sports and Kayo.