How Oscar Piastri wowed the F1 world in his rookie season

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Australian Formula 1 great Alan Jones says McLaren driver Oscar Piastri exceeded expectations in his first season on the grid, days before the 22-year-old is to be considered for FIA’s rookie of the year for the second time.

Piastri ended the Formula 1 season in ninth on the driver standings, with the two other rookies in the championship – Logan Sargeant (Williams) and Nyck De Vries (AlphaTauri, replaced by Daniel Ricciardo midway through the season after poor results) – finishing 21st and 22nd respectively, and the Australian looks favoured to win the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) rookie of the year for the second time at the FIA awards in Baku, Azerbaijan, on December 8.

Oscar Piastri celebrates with his trophy after his sprint win in Qatar.Credit: Getty Images

Piastri won the award in 2021, in his maiden season in Formula 2, with any driver competing in their first season in an FIA-sanctioned championship eligible for the prize.

It was a slow start to the season for Piastri, whose McLaren struggled to keep up with its rivals, but by the end of the year, the Melburnian had completed a debut season among the best seen in the top flight since seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s debut season in 2007.

Across his first nine grand prix events, the Australian collected just five points – four of them in Melbourne when he avoided trouble in a crash-riddled Australian Grand Prix to finish eighth.

But car improvements meant Piastri and teammate Lando Norris rocketed into contention in the back half of the season. Top-five finishes in the Great Britain and Hungary Grands Prix gave the Australian a much-needed confidence boost, and by season’s end he finished with enough points to sit ninth in the driver standings.

Jones, the 1980 Formula 1 champion, said Piastri exceeded expectations this season, despite coming into the premier motorsport category with high hopes.

“I think he’s done extremely well,” Jones said.

“I think he’s acquitted himself probably better than most people thought, although, given his performances in the lower formulas on the way up to Formula 1, it wasn’t entirely surprising.”

Results at a glance

Piastri’s season highlights

April 2, Australian GP (eighth)
In his home grand prix at Melbourne, he managed to avoid trouble in an incident-riddled race to record his first points for the driver standings.

July 9, British GP (fourth)
A bitter-sweet result after a safety car denied Piastri his first podium finish. It was clear then that McLaren had turned a corner.

July 29, Belgium sprint (second)
He became the first rookie to lead a race since 2013, but couldn’t stop Max Verstappen from winning a rain-hit shortened sprint race.

Oscar Piastri greets fans at Albert Park during the Australian Grand Prix.Credit: Quinn Rooney

September 24, Japan GP (third)
His first podium in a Formula 1 grand prix, after becoming just the fifth Australian to qualify on the front row, starting the race in second place.

October 7, Qatar sprint (won)
Claimed his first win in Formula 1 in the sprint race, just McLaren’s second race win since 2011 after Ricciardo’s win at Monza in 2021.

October 8, Qatar GP (second)
Started in sixth, but avoided trouble at the first turn to move up four places and hold on to second spot with a mistake-free drive.

Compared with Lando

Piastri and Norris had great second halves this season after car troubles impacted their speed early.

While Piastri had just five points through the first nine events, Norris had just 12 through eight. It was at the Austrian Grand Prix when car upgrades showed their worth, with Norris finishing fourth.

That weekend was followed up at Silverstone when Norris (second) and Piastri (fourth) both had outstanding races, and again at Hungary, as Norris (second) and Piastri (fifth) showed they were capable of competing with anyone behind Verstappen.

Norris finished sixth in the standings, with a career-high 205 points, but Jones said it was unfair to compare Piastri’s results with his teammate’s. In Norris’ rookie season in 2019, he finished 11th overall.

Oscar Piastria has been a hit with McLaren.Credit: Getty Images

“This was Lando’s fifth or sixth year in Formula 1, it was Oscar’s first year,” Jones said.

“There were a few tracks he’d never been to before, although, given the fact the simulators these days, you probably don’t even need to go to the circuit. I just think he did extremely well.

“I’ve said it before; some drivers, no matter what they put their bum in, they’re successful, and Oscar’s won championships in Formula 3 and Formula 2, and now he’s acquitted himself extremely well in Formula 1, much the same path as other world champions.”

Norris, who is contracted until the end of 2025, is expected to remain McLaren’s No.1 driver next season.

Comparing debut seasons

Piastri’s record compares favourably among some of Formula 1’s best first-season drivers. Since 2015, no rookie has accrued as many points as Piastri, making him perhaps the best first-season driver in the top tier since Hamilton in 2007.

Hamilton finished runner-up with 109 points, when 10 points – not 25 – were awarded for wins, equal on points with teammate Fernando Alonso and just one point shy of that year’s champion Kimi Raikkonen. Hamilton also claimed the record for most consecutive podium finishes by a first-season driver when he finished top three in his first nine races that season.

Hamilton, driving for McLaren, finished that season with four wins – the joint record for wins in a debut season – and 12 podiums, including in Australia.

Lewis Hamilton finished third in Melbourne in 2007 and celebrates on the podium with Fernando Alonso.Credit: AP

Since 2015, Alexander Albon (2019), Charles Leclerc (2018) and Verstappen (2015) have all won the FIA rookie of the year award, which is selected among drivers who completed their first season in an FIA-sanctioned championship, and Piastri’s season this year stacks up favourably alongside theirs.

Piastri also won the rookie of the year award in 2021 for his maiden season in Formula 2.

Expectations for 2024

In September, Piastri signed a contract extension with McLaren, tying him with the British team until at least the end of 2026.

But the way Piastri finished his maiden Formula 1 season should leave him confident he can take off where he finished in 2024. McLaren’s fourth in the constructor standings after its slow start is also cause for excitement.

“We know we want to aim for more than that next year, but I’ve enjoyed my first year of F1 a hell of a lot,” Piastri said last Sunday after the final race at Abu Dhabi.

“There’s been some great highlights, some trickier moments, but it’s all part of the experience.”

After testing the car one final time on Tuesday, he added: “We’ve learnt a few new things with the car but also with my own driving, which is always good to work on.

“Hopefully, we can take the momentum from the second half of the season into 2024 and start strong.”

McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella was in awe of Piastri’s rapid rise and his future trajectory.

“I can confirm that definitely our perception, our analysis is that Oscar’s season has just been exceptional. And when I say exceptional, like beyond our expectation,” Stella said after the Abu Dhabi race.

“It’s the rapidity at which he learns that, I think, makes him exceptional. I think this has been true in whatever scale you take. Within the time of a race, within the timeframe of an event, within the timeframe of the season, just his gradient is so impressive.”

Jones was also optimistic about what Piastri could do in 2024 and beyond.

“I think if he continues on the way he has been, he’ll just grow in stature and results,” Jones said.

“It’s the owner, Zak Brown of McLaren, he holds him in high praise and at the end of the day, that’s all he’s got to worry about because there’s only one bloke you’ve got to please, and that’s the boss.”

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