With just 20 spots available, F1 is one of the most exclusive sports in the world, making the journey to get there incredibly competitive. To reach the pinnacle, sacrifices often have to be made, frequently involving family.
The situation with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was no different. Born in Melbourne, he had to move to Europe at just 14 years old to be closer to racing hotspots. Initially, his father, Chris, moved to the UK with him to support his career, and they stayed together in a flat in the north of London.
However, after six months, Chris had to return home to manage his company, HP Turners. As a result, he was forced to have a difficult conversation with his son.
“Come with me or stay here,” Chris presented this unfortunate ultimatum to Piastri, who was just a teenager climbing the ranks of motorsport halfway accross the world. This was revealed by Motorsport Network editor-in-chief Ben Hunt, who also insisted that Piastri was so determined that he was never going to return to Melbourne.
“For Oscar, it was a no-brainer. He was going to stay,” Hunt added.
Still, Piastri was too young to stay alone, so his parents enrolled him in a boarding school — Haileybury and Imperial Service College. Furthermore, they hired Rob McIntyre, a close family friend, to look after Piastri, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as McIntyre himself had a background in professional go-karting.
A short while later, McIntyre realized Piastri had the potential to make it big.
“Oscar would have been 15. Rick [Flynn — the man Oscar raced for at the time] basically said, ‘yeah, really fast, very technical, super-smart,'” McIntyre said, per Autosport.
“When I looked at his data, the way he uses the steering and pedals, he was so dexterous. He’s got an amazing feel. I thought, ‘this kid is going to go really well in a car.'”
Thankfully, Piastri did make it big. He became a force to be reckoned with in the junior categories, winning both the F3 and F2 titles back-to-back (2020 and 2021). The only other drivers to have achieved this milestone are Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Gabriel Bortoleto—all of whom are competing in F1 currently.
oscar piastri’s father updating before oscar lmao pic.twitter.com/zF5jE3n0qk
— jenson button (real) (@prfectlysplndid) July 28, 2024
However, getting to the top wasn’t easy for Piastri, despite his undoubtable talent. He only landed a reserve driver role with Alpine and had to sit out the 2022 season.
When Fernando Alonso left Alpine for Aston Martin at the end of the 2022 season, the French outfit wanted to promote Piastri and even issued a press release to confirm the same. However, the Melbourne-born driver had other plans.
Soon after seeing Alpine’s press release, he posted one of his most infamous tweets, explaining that he had never signed a contract with the Enstone-based team. He instead decided to sign with McLaren, leading to a long legal battle between the two teams to secure his signature.
I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.
— Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) August 2, 2022
Eventually, it all worked out for Piastri and McLaren.
Now 23, Piastri is one of F1’s top drivers. With three wins from the first five Grands Prix this season and a 10-point lead over McLaren teammate Lando Norris in the championship, he is certainly one of the favorites to fight for the 2025 title.
