Oscar Piastri is an enigmatic personality who does not enjoy much of the spotlight. While appearing on the Eff Won podcast lately with Dax Shepherd, the Australian gave a peek into his personal life. Shepherd stimulated the rookie to speak more, citing how people know very less about his relationship.
Piastri then told Shepherd about how he met his girlfriend, Lily Zneimer. He said, “I met my girlfriend at school. Hell, we were… [thinking] Oh she is gonna kill me if I get this wrong. It’s been four and a half years. I am 22 now, so must have been 17. Yes, so [in] the 2nd last year of school, we became a couple. So it’s been nice to have someone there from the start.”
The McLaren rookie stated that he was not very popular at school, despite being a racing driver, much to Shepherd’s surprise. Adding further, Piastri highlighted how they keep their relationship private, and thus, people don’t know much about it.
“Yeah, we keep it private. Not secretive, like some relationships are. But yeah we keep it to ourselves. We try to be out of the spotlight and live normal lives“, explained Piastri.
Oscar Piastri on the tricky balance between F1 and his personal life
Oscar Piastri then further added on the challenge of balancing his personal and public life. While he looks to maintain the privacy of his relationship and family, it is challenging. Regardless, it is positive for him to see his partner and parents come to the races.
The 22-year-old stated, “My girlfriend Lily, she has come to a few races as well, which has been nice. My parents come to some of the races, but my family still lives in Australia, so not the easiest for them to come to all of the races.”
A day out in Melbourne with Oscar Piastri @oscarpiastri returned home to Melbourne with his partner Lily, and took a trip to the Mornington Peninsula, visiting the native animals at the Moonlit Sanctuary & dining in at Bahmah Park Restaurant & Cellar Door #AusGP @McLarenF1 pic.twitter.com/bPBoSHToEe
— F1 Australian Grand Prix (@ausgrandprix) March 21, 2023
Piastri then also humorously revealed how he spends more time with his physio than his girlfriend because of his F1 commitments. He said, “We all travel with a physio or a trainer. I think we often joke that we see them more than we see our girlfriends or partners or whoever, which is true.”
Does it affect Piastri to not be able to enjoy his social life?
Further, on the podcast, Oscar Piastri expressed his thoughts on how he doesn’t get time to spend quality time with friends and family during the races. The McLaren rookie mentioned how he only gets to see his friends attending the races for five minutes or so. He said, “Don’t get me wrong. But it’s my job. I have gotta be serious.”
Shepherd further asked him whether he goes out to party at nightclubs during the race weekends or not. Piastri replied, “No, even on a Sunday night, it’s a rare occasion. Maybe that’ll come more with time. But yeah, definitely not on a Friday night.”
The 22-year-old knows how demanding it is to be an F1 driver. To perform at the highest level, he will have to sacrifice some of the quality time with family, friends, and his girlfriend. Thus, his social life will have to take a back seat for as long as he is in F1.
As for his maiden season, Piastri has certainly exceeded expectations. Many pundits have praised his attitude and skills on track. While he may keep his personal life private, it is helping him focus properly on his F1 ambitions. This is the level of commitment and discipline needed in Formula 1 and Piastri is doing it just right.
